Rafael Benitez claims his Liverpool past stopped him making ‘decisions’ at Everton.
Benitez’s controversial six-month spell at Goodison Park was ended in January after his side produced a return of just one win in 13 Premier League games.
That downturn in results left the Blues perilously close to the relegation zone when the Spaniard was sacked following an abject defeat at Norwich City.
But Benitez, 62, alleges that his previous stint in charge of the Anfield club contributed to his downfall due to an inability to implement some ideas.
“At the time Everton came in with the offer, I knew I would give my best and do everything to try to improve things,” he told Sky Sports.
“I knew it could be difficult because I was at Liverpool, so maybe I couldn’t make some decisions. It was very clear for us at the beginning.
“I had a meeting with a head of one of the departments and I asked him, ‘do you think everything is fine?’
“He said, ‘yeah, everything is perfect’. I thought ‘£600m had been spent, it cannot be perfect when the owners aren’t happy and the fans are not happy.’
“So I realised we had to change things inside, but I couldn’t do it straight away because I was a former Red and it could be seen as, ‘Oh, he’s come in to change our club’.
“In another club, I would have made those decisions. I did it in the past, because you know very clearly that is the way to improve.
“But there, at Everton, I couldn’t do it.”