Rafa Benitez isn’t particularly fancied by those in the blue half of Merseyside, and he’ll be even further into the bad books after what has emerged with James Rodriguez.
Everton sacked Rafa Benitez in 2022 after a disappointing six months in charge at Goodison Park.
The Spaniard managed just 1.14 points on average per game, which is simply not good enough.
And to make matters worse, Benitez told Jamie Carragher the reason he wanted to manage Everton was because his family were in Liverpool, which is a red flag in itself.
Now, Everton fans will be even more annoyed with the 64-year-old, as a decision he made back in 2021 surrounding James Rodriguez has come back to haunt the club.
James Rodriguez of Everton shoots under pressure from Chris Basham of Sheffield United during the Premier League match between Everton and Sheffiel...
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
James Rodriguez has been nominated for FIFA’s World’s Best XI
Despite only appearing 23 times in the league for the Toffees, James Rodriguez’s world-class ability was immediately clear, as he scored six goals during that time.
Since leaving Everton he’s been at Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, Sao Paulo and now Rayo Vallecano.
Rodriguez was named the Best Player of CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 this summer after scoring one goal and laying on six assists, which is a tournament record.
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This has single-handedly led to the attacking midfielder being thrown into contention to win a place in FIFA’s World’s Best XI, as he’s been named among the midfielder nominees.
Rafa Benitez’s mistake to get rid of James Rodriguez
Rafa Benitez and James Rodriguez just didn’t get on when he took charge at Everton, which was partly down to their previous time together at Real Madrid.
Interestingly, Rodriguez said he pictured himself spending another two or three years on Merseyside prior to the Spaniard’s arrival. That means he could still have been playing for Everton to this day.
“Yes, I’ve spoken about this in interviews before and I didn’t want to leave the club, either. But the new manager had arrived, and we all know who that is, and he said that I wasn’t going to feature in his plans,” he said.
“I never wanted to leave, that much is obvious. I felt that I could have gone on to play two or three seasons more at the club. But it’s plain to see that the manager said that he wouldn’t be wanting me to be involved at all.
“The supporters wanted me to stay, and so did I. But in the end, that’s just football for you. What happened then is now all in the past, but it was a real shame because I believed that I could have gone on to achieve more in my time at Everton football club.”
Benitez’s decision to force James Rodriguez now looks even worse given the fact he still possesses those same qualities after his summer exploits.
Everton are currently missing an attacking midfielder who can really grab the game by the scruff of its neck and create things, which is what Rodriguez’s game is all about.
Dwight McNeil has struggled in the number 10 role and Iliman Ndiaye has been preferred out wide.
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