Rafa Benitez’s move to Everton is the most-controversial managerial appointment in Merseyside football history but one of his former players insists he’ll end up being “loved” by the Goodison Park faithful.
Former Liverpool boss Benitez’s arrival at the Blues on a three-year contract has caused major ructions among both clubs fanbases either side of Stanley Park.
As speculation built that Everton owner Farhad Moshiri was favouring Benitez as his preferred candidate, slogans condemning the Spaniard were daubed both outside Goodison and on a banner close to the 61-year-old’s long-time family home on the Wirral.
An online poll conducted by the Liverpool Echo found over 80% of participants to be against the prospect of Benitez taking the reins at the Blues, but on Wednesday he was confirmed as being Carlo Ancelotti’s successor and Mr Moshiri’s fifth managerial appointment in as many years since taking control of the club.
Along with supporter discontent, several former players have also cast doubts on whether the partnership will prove fruitful but that isn’t a concern for one of Benitez’s ex-Liverpool players, Didi Hamann.
RTE quote the German as telling 2fm’s Game On: “I think he will be loved by the Everton faithful.
“He’s a top-class manager. I think he’s a genius.
“He wants to manage back in the Premier League and if there is no other club where he can go to, I wouldn't hold it against him.
“When you look at his track record, what he did at Newcastle, what he did at Chelsea when he had a lot of fans against him when he first took over, he’s just a brilliant manager.
“I think the Everton fans in about six months' time they will speak differently and maybe regret some of things they have said about him.
“He wants to manage back in the Premier League and if there is no other club where he can go to, I wouldn’t hold it against him.
“I know how sensitive the situation is in Liverpool, but he left there (Liverpool) a long time ago and I think he will do very well there (at Everton).”
