Everton’s new life began in 2016, when Anglo-Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri bought almost 50% of the club’s shares. Moshiri looked like a mysterious figure – journalists connected him with Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Together they owned part of the shares of Arsenal, but then Moshiri sold his share.
In 2017, after the leak of offshore documents (Paradise Papers), information appeared that Moshiri bought this football team with Usmanov’s money received as a gift (Usmanov at that time owned a stake in Arsenal and could not be a co-owner of another Premier League club). It is Moshiri who manages the club now.
Along with the new owners came ambition at Everton: Moshiri promised to increase the transfer budget and announced a new stadium for 300 million pounds. It’s been 5.5 years. Everton remained where they were, but became famous as one of the most generous football
clubs in Europe.
Everton have spent more than 600 million euros on football players
It was possible to earn only 353 million. This is a gigantic amount. Not every top club can afford to spend that much. Bayern have spent about 470 million since 2016, while Liverpool have spent just over 600 million. Everton’s spending is significantly second only to Man City’s (about 900 million).
Wages are also a problem. In February 2021, UEFA released the economic report for the previous year. The good news is that the football club has entered the top 20 clubs in Europe in terms of revenue (€196m). Bad – the ratio of the salary fund to revenue is 93% (with 75% recommended by UEFA). For comparison, Real Madrid’s salaries take 57% of revenue. Everton are one of the worst clubs in the top 20 by this metric.
Did spending help boost development and climb to the Champions League? No. Everton finished the 2016/17 football season seventh, then there was a fall – two seasons in a row in eighth place, a new fall to 12th in the 2019/2020 season and 10th following the results of last season. European competition is also a problem: under Moshiri, Everton played only once in the Europa League (in the 2017/18 season), but could not leave the group with Atalanta, Lyon and the Cypriot Apollo.
Everton changed six coaches, rebuilt the football team for each
For 5.5 years, the football club has replaced six specialists, not counting two acting ones – Duncan Ferguson (twice was acting, a total of 28 days) and David Unsworth (37 days). We started with Ronald Koeman, who worked well at Southampton, then there was a veteran of British football Sam Allardyce – under him the results improved, but football was very close. Silva taught the team to press and had a good first season, but at the start of the second season the results dipped (plus Everton missed a lot from set pieces). Ancelotti gave stability, but did not bring the club to a new level (although they took James Rodriguez with a salary of 250 thousand pounds a week).
For 5.5 years, Everton football managers have not found a coach who can stay at the club for at least a couple of seasons. This also affects transfers: almost every summer we had to buy players for a new coach and his requirements (defensive Allardyce and Silva’s pressing machine). Hence the chaos, players who do not fit well with each other and forced sales.
Moshiri is producing a big project with a serious budget, but he can’t attract a top coach. The club focuses either on young Premier League football coaches who have proven themselves in smaller clubs (Keman – Southampton, Silva – Watford), or old-timers with a name (Ancelotti, Benitez). Ancelotti really was a quality find (it is noteworthy that he was not fired – he went to Real Madrid himself), but even he could not bring Everton to a new level. Frankie seems to be the first coach in years to combine youth and top status. However, it can also be hampered by poor football management.
Everton have sacked the sporting director, but this does not seem to solve the problem
Everton gives a signal: those responsible for the failed transfers are fired, the club starts a new life with a promising young coach. Everton now resembles an abuser after a couple of sessions of psychotherapy: he talks about his mistakes, tries to correct them and convinces that now everything will be different. But repentance looks like another manipulation.
Brands’ dismissal is suspicious. There is no confirmation that the Dutchman is responsible for all the bad transfers. The Guardian wrote that Brands left because of the conflict: Moshiri appointed coaches and signed contracts with players without the consent of the sports director.
Over the summer, British media reported that Moshiri appointed Benítez against Brands’ wishes. There are specific examples of Moshiri’s intervention: it was he who ordered the sale of Luc Digne, who was in conflict with Benitez, but after a few weeks he also fired Rafa.
In addition, the first window without Brands “Everton” holds in the same style. In January, the club bought Dele Alli and loaned Johnny Van de Beek from Manchester United. Both are 10s, they can play deeper (Dele played the 8 at Tottenham, Van de Beek was sometimes one of the two defensive midfielders at Ajax), but Lampard respected them precisely for the qualities that are revealed on the 10. Doesn’t it remind you of the situation from 2017, when Everton bought three dozen at the same time?
What do fans think about this situation?
There is a feeling that the problem is not in the coaches or Brands, but a little higher. Fans seem to understand this too: in December 2021, several Everton fan factions launched the #27minutesfor27years campaign (in honor of 27 years without a trophy).
At the 27th minute, the fans had to leave the stands – this is a protest against Moshiri’s management.
While there are few protesters, it is clearly time for the Iranian to change something – otherwise he will move the Glazers from the post of the most hated owner of the Premier League club.