Rafa Benitez Sacked As Everton Manager

Rafa Benitez's short, but uncomfortable, time at Everton has been brought to a quick end on Sunday, having been appointed manager last summer.

The club made the news official with an extremely short message, that didn't exactly suggest there was much good feeling for the former manager.

"Everton Football Club can confirm the departure of Rafael Benitez as First Team manager," the statement on the club website read.

"Benitez, who joined Everton in June 2021, has left the Club with immediate effect. 

"An update on a permanent replacement will be made in due course."

Benitez was never a popular appointment at Goodison Park when he was signed up to replace Carlo Ancelotti in June, after the Italian left Merseyside for Madrid.

The Spaniard's history with Everton's fierce rivals Liverpool, including a Champions League win with them in 2005, meant fans weren't happy at all.

The Toffees started the season off quite well, with four wins and a draw in their opening six games, and followed that up by earning a point against Manchester United, at Old Trafford, leading to Andros Townsend pulling out Cristiano Ronaldo's famous celebration.

However it's all gone down hill since then for Benitez and they've lost nine of the last 12 league games, with things coming to a head after Saturday's loss to Norwich.

The Canaries have been poor all season and sat bottom of the game ahead of Everton's visit to Carrow Road on Saturday, having won just twice in the league before kick off.

Michael Keane's own goal gave the hosts the lead after just 16 minutes and things went from bad to worse just two minutes later, as Dean Smith's team doubled their lead.

Adam Idah, who has struggled to be given starts at Norwich, scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the 18th minute, scoring from just outside the area.

During the game there were fans with a sign calling for the manager to be sacked and one fan ran onto the pitch out of protest.

Benitez brought on Richarlison in the 54th minute, and it took him just six minutes to suggest he should have started, with the Brazilian scoring a brilliant overhead kick.

It ended up being nothing but a consolation on the day and the last act of Benitez's short and unspectacular time as manager of Everton.

Fans will likely be even more annoyed that the 61-year-old was ever appointed, seeing as how one of their best players was essentially forced out of the club under him.

Lucas Digne only moved to Aston Villa a few days ago, after being dropped by the former Real Madrid manager, and all might have been avoided had the manager been sacked earlier.

Everton sit in 15th place, just six points clear of the relegation zone and will hope that whoever replaces Benitez can bring better results and isn't a Liverpool legend...