‘Proved right’ - Lucas Digne makes Rafa Benitez sacking and Everton dressing room claim

Lucas Digne believes he’s been proven ‘right’ to have questioned Rafa Benitez given he the Spaniard was subsequently sacked as Everton manager.

Digne brought an end to his three-and-a-half year stint at Goodison Park when he left for Aston Villa for a fee of around £23 million in January.

Background

In the build-up to his departure, the left-back was embroiled in an off-field quarrel with then-boss Benitez.

It led to Digne being omitted from several match-day squads, while Vitalii Mykolenko was purchased from Dynamo Kiev as his replacement.

Before being axed by Everton amid a horrendous run of one win in 13 Premier League games, Benitez claimed that Digne had asked to leave the club.

But speaking to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) while on France duty during the international break, Digne disputed that happened.

What’s been said

He said: “I lived three and a half years of happiness and love with the supporters.

“I had, and still have, a great relationship with them, with people at the club, my former team-mates.

“But I don’t look back. Football is like that. One day everything is fine, the next month it is less so. And you have to make decisions.

“When you are part of the framework, there are discussions with the coach.

“The relationship we had was not good. It was complicated to be excluded from the group for a month. It was an unprecedented situation in my career. But I had my family and my teammates with me.

“I also saw Raphaël Varane quite often, as we lived nearby. I took it upon myself. I continued to work on the side, to be behind my friends. I have never refused to play.

It was a way for him to protect himself. I never asked for that [to leave]. People who know me at the club know that everything was going very well. I was not the only one to leave, moreover (James Rodriguez, in particular).”

‘The group was unanimous’

Digne’s clash with Benitez was over the Everton tactics being deployed - and claimed team-mates felt the same.

And the ex-Barcelona defender reckons that Benitez was not the correct fit to succeed at the Toffees - which ultimately resulted to his exit.

“In relation to the style of play, especially. I thought we had a team that could have a lot more possession, which we had the quality for.

“He asked me the question, I gave him my answer.

“I know my place. I felt legitimate to give him my feelings and those of the other players in the locker room. The group was unanimous.

“The sequel proved me right, since he was fired because of the poor results. I think he also had a bad philosophy. He didn’t fit at Everton.”