Rafa Benitez has previously explained that he didn't mean to call Everton a 'small club,' as the former Liverpool manager looks set to take over at Goodison Park.
Benitez is considered a Liverpool legend, having managed the club for six years and won the Champions League with the Reds in 2005.
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However, it looks like he could be about to taint that status at Anfield, with Everton in advanced talks to bring him back to Merseyside, to replace Carlo Ancelotti.
Whilst it hasn't gone down well with Liverpool fans, Everton supporters also have a right to feel a bit annoyed with the upcoming appointment.
In 2007, whilst still in charge at Anfield, the Spanish manager referred to his team's local rivals as a 'small club,' something that didn't go down too well in the Blue half of the city.
However, the 61-year-old actually explained that he didn't mean to say 'club' at all, back in 2019 when he was talking to Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football.
"I made a mistake when I said it was a small club," the two time La Liga winning manager said on Sky Sports.
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"What I wanted to say was they are a small team because in this game I remember they had one chance.
"Liverpool fans were happy and the Evertonians were upset. But I didn't want to say they were a small club, I wanted to say they were a small team.
"Some Evertonians they come to me and say about what I did for the city, we have the charity, and all these things, so I have a very good connection with the city, not just the Liverpool fans."
Following a 0-0 draw at Anfield 14 years ago, Benitez showed frustration at drawing by criticising Everton's approach.
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The Toffees actually had the best chance of the game through Andy Johnson, but the striker hit a good opportunity straight to Pepe Reina, but then Liverpool boss wasn't happy.
"I'm really disappointed. One team wanted to win and one didn't want to lose but we tried to keep going forward and creating chances," he told reporters after the match.
"When you play against eight players behind the ball, narrow and deep, you cannot create many clear chances.
"You just keep trying. You cannot say anything about this."
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Obviously, he made amends in some way for those words but it remains to be seen if it's enough to improve relations with the fans of the club he's about to be in charge of.
Should Everton be appointing Benitez?
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Liverpool, Football, Rafa Benitez, Premier League, Everton
