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Farhad Moshiri has passionately outlined to talkSPORT why Rafa Benitez is the best man for the Everton job as he insisted unhappy supporters will be won over by their new manager.
In an exclusive interview with Jim White on talkSPORT, the Toffees’ majority shareholder declared Benitez was the only man who ‘ticked all the boxes’ to succeed Carlo Ancelotti following his abrupt departure at the start of June.
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The appointment of Benitez has been met by fierce opposition from many Everton fans, given his close ties to Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
Benitez spent six years in charge of Liverpool, winning the Champions League and FA Cup, and once described Everton as a ‘small club’ during his time at Anfield.
But Moshiri insists his connection with Liverpool – the club – is a ‘distant’ one and is convinced the controversial move will prove the right one for the Toffees in the long-term.
“We didn’t find anyone with his knowledge and passion for football,” Moshiri said, when asked why he opted for Benitez.
“On his computer he has maybe 3,000 players’ details. Name a player, he knows everything about them – injuries, history – and he just won’t stop.
“You can see his life is football, there is nothing else. He is an intelligent man who is obsessed with football.
“You can see he will bring passion to your team. At this stage with a major stadium project, you need to go for experience and a winning mentality.
“I’m the biggest fan and I have reacted in most cases to fans when there is discontent. When there were rallies and banners against [Roberto] Martinez, I acted. When I wanted to get David Moyes and there were protests, I didn’t take him.
“But this is the case where I think the connection is a very distant connection. He was as passionate a Liverpool manager as he was Napoli manager, Valencia manager or Real Madrid manager.
“He’s a professional, dedicated manager who gives his soul to every club that he has been to. You need to pick up professionals who are dedicated and give everything to the team and the man is in love with the city of Liverpool, not so much a particular club.
“All the fans – and I am the biggest fan – will begin to appreciate the man he is. The man will be first in, last out at Finch Farm who gives everything.”
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As well as Liverpool, Benitez has managed Chelsea and Newcastle in the Premier League and held major jobs across Europe, including at Real Madrid, Valencia and Napoli.
He has won the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup, FA Cup, LaLiga (twice) and the Championship in his long and varied career.
Moshiri added: “I mean, what are your criteria? Premier League experience, winning trophies, being dedicated, knowing the city and ability to perform. Even at Newcastle, he worked on no budget, coming from the Championship and finishing tenth [in the Premier League].
“The ability to go from Real Madrid and go to a lower division than the Premier League, it just shows a robust mentality.
“It has been difficult because we brought Carlo in at great effort and the sudden departure disrupted the club and all our plans. We built this squad for him and these are big, big disruptions.
“We couldn’t afford another short-term managerial period so we looked hard. We looked at so many managers, matching them with the club, their ability, and he was the only one who ticked all the boxes.
“You can always take big risks and at the end of it we are satisfied that we have done our work.”
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