How much it cost Everton to pay off Rafa Benitez and his coaching staff revealed

Everton shelled out £10.5 million to part ways with Rafa Benitez and his coaching staff.

The club has released its accounts for the 2021-22 season, with the Toffees making a total loss of £44.7 million in the period. It is significantly less than the loss of £121 million for 2020-21 and £139.9m in 2019-20. Sales of Richarlison and Lucas Digne to Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa respectively helped, while turnover was £181 million.

However, the Blues still have made losses of £305.5 million in a three-year period. They have been referred to an independent commission for an alleged profit and sustainability breach by the Premier League, although Everton vehemently deny those claims.

In January 2021, Everton took the decision to sack Benitez as manager - just six-and-a-half months into his tenure. At the time, the Toffees were 16th in the table but had won just one league game in 13 matches. Subsequently, Francisco de Miguel Moreno, Antonio Gomez, Jamie Harley and Cristian Fernandez who worked with Benitez also departed.

And the club’s accounts reveal an ‘operating exceptional cost of £10.5 million’ that was ‘in relation to a change in coaching staff’.

The report said: “The Club recognised an operating exceptional cost of £10.5m which was incurred for amounts payable in relation to a change in coaching staff.”

Everton replaced Benitez with Frank Lampard, who guided ensured Premier League survival in the 2021-22 campaign.