Today, Everton will officially appoint Rafael Benitez as the new coach, replacing Carlo Ancelotti. This is a shocking deal for English football fans, because Benitez used to have a long time with Liverpool, Everton’s city rival.
Leading British sources confirmed that Everton will announce the appointment of Rafael Benitez as coach today, June 30. After a long search for candidates to replace Carlo Ancelotti, the Goodison Park team decided to shock the Spaniard.
This deal surprised the fans because Everton and Liverpool are two big rivals in England. In the past, Benitez had 6 years to lead Liverpool (2004-2010) and achieved a number of successes, including the culmination of winning the Champions League in 2005.
Since rumors surfaced about Everton’s contact with Benitez, some of the club’s extremist fans have threatened to target him. Earlier this week, an anonymous banner was discovered on the doorstep of Benitez’s home in Merseyside that read: “We know you live there, so don’t sign.”
However, these harsh reactions did not stop Everton from choosing Benitez. In fact, the Goodison Park home team has other candidates, including Nuno Espirito Santo, David Moyes and Roberto Martinez. However, they were soon rejected when contacting these coaches.
In fact, Benitez has been away from Liverpool for 11 years. During that time, the 61-year-old coach has in turn led Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, Newcastle and most recently the Chinese club Dalian Professional.