Rafa Benitez to Everton organised by Russian oligarch Usmanov despite fan fury
Don’t wait around for updates – sign up for our daily football email newsletter today!
Rafael Benitez’s proposed move to Everton was organized by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, close friend of owner Farhad Moshiri and someone who is having a big say in the ongoings at Goodison Park.
The move for Benitez has been widely criticized by sections of the Everton supporters due to his past Liverpool links, but Moshiri is eager to appoint him.
Benitez managed Everton’s Merseyside rivals for six years between 2004 and 2010, winning the Champions League in 2005.
And according to the Sun, he looks set to take over at Everton, and that is largely down to the influential Usmanov, who Moshiri has previously consulted with when appointing managers.
After Ronald Koeman was sacked in 2017, Usmanov was instrumental in appointing Sam Allardyce as his temporary replacement and just a few months later, when Allardyce was gone, Marco Silva got his chance after some advice sought from Usmanov.
It’s not just the managerial hunt that Usmanov has a say in.
Usmanov spent £30m for naming rights to Everton’s training ground, USM Finch Farm, while he has also put down a £30m deposit as part of a ten-year £200m agreement to have Everton’s new £700m Bramley-Moore Dock stadium named after his company.
Previously, Usmanov held a 30 percent stake in Premier League rivals Everton.
Would Rafa Benitez be the right choice for Everton? Let us know in the comments below.
Everton’s managerial search looks set to end with Benitez edging closer to joining them.
They have been on the hunt for a new boss after Carlo Ancelotti unexpectedly left them to return to Spain with former club Real Madrid.
Previous candidates for the job have included former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo and Brighton’s Graham Potter, but Benitez is now the favourite to get the gig.
After Liverpool, Benitez managed other Premier League clubs such as Chelsea on an interim basis and Newcastle United, who he left in 2019 after over three years in charge.
- Everton FC
Source: Read Full Article