Benitez could be appointed by Everton today after ‘pretty much accepting’ job
Everton could appoint Rafa Benitez as their new manager today (Thursday) after the Spaniard all-but accepted the job, according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.
The 61-year-old’s reportedly imminent arrival at Goodison Park has caused quite a stir on both sides of Stanley Park with the Spaniard being owning legendary status at Anfield for his previous spell as Liverpool manager.
However, it looks as though Benitez could be installed as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at Goodison Park by the end of play on Thursday.
“Now that it has been offered to him, we do expect him to accept that job and be the successor to Carlo Ancelotti who obviously left for Real Madrid earlier this month,” said Downie, as shown in a clip on the Sky Sports Transfer Centre on Wednesday night [11:11pm].
“Big story for Everton, really. Rafa Benitez is a man who’s done so well in football right across Europe and he’s set to take over the reins at Goodison Park next season.
“As we understand it, that one could be wrapped up as early as tomorrow (now today).
“Big story there after pretty much accepting the role from the Everton board.”
Big story, indeed
There has been quite a mixed reaction to Benitez’s reportedly imminent arrival at Goodison Park from both sides of the Merseyside rivalry.
One on side you have Liverpool fans who really don’t want to see one of their revered former managers sign a deal at one of their biggest rivals.
And on the other side, you have Everton supporters who aren’t keen on someone so respected at Anfield and who once called the Blues a “small club”.
From our point of view on the blue side of Stanley Park, Benitez’s comment about us was a throwaway one that was intended to pander towards the club he felt closest to at that time.
He’s since admitted he “made a mistake” for saying that [Liverpool Echo] and as far as we’re concerned, it means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
And then you have the Kopites.
Anything that can annoy them, we should be happy with.
They are in absolute meltdown over this. One Liverpool fan even called talkSPORT on Wednesday to kick off over Benitez’s move to Everton, saying it’s a “disgrace”.
Let’s revel in that.
It annoys them more than it should annoy us.
And when he’s arriving at Goodison with the CV he has, we only see the fact that Benitez had a spell at Anfield as a mere footnote in his incredible career.
In other Everton news, this Toffees ace has posted a picture of himself in a Leicester shirt on social media.
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