Rafa Benitez has claimed that he only took the Everton job because for the sake of the club and the city.
The Spaniard was controversially hired as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement last summer, much to the dismay of Everton fans, given his association to rivals Liverpool.
It was felt he could be the ideal man to build something at the club given their limited finances, which were extremely restricted due to Financial Fair Play.
He would only be allowed to spend a small amount in the summer window but enjoy a strong start to life at Goodison Park nonetheless.
He left the Blues with a record of seven wins, four draws and 11 defeats in all competitions, with a tally of just one point per game in the Premier League.
His miserable spell is one that will not be fondly remembered, but he continues to insist the situation was not as bad as was made out.
“I took Everton because I had a lot of Blues friends who wanted an experienced manager to put right a lot of the things they knew weren’t, and aren’t, right in there,” he told Marca.
“Liverpool fans understand it was a professional and personal decision because of my affection for the city. Most understood that.
“It wasn’t as if I had signed for United, for example. But the Everton project stayed there: there was no investment, and we had a lot of injuries.
“We lost the backbone of the team and some crucial points. Still, we were six points clear of relegation with two games in hand.”
