Lucas Digne has launched a stinging attack on Rafa Benitez claiming he had a 'bad philosophy' and believes the ill feeling towards the Spaniard was 'unanimous' in the Everton dressing room.
Digne quickly became a fan-favourite at Goodison Park following his £18m move from Barcelona in the summer of 2018, fitting straight into Marco Silva's side in place of Leighton Baines.
But the full-back completed his transfer to Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, understood to be £25million, in the middle of the January transfer window. Digne last played for Everton in the 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool on December 1 with Benitez later claiming that the left-back no longer wanted to play for the club.
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However, less than a week after the Frenchman's departure, Benitez was sacked following a poor run of form that saw the Blues slip down the table. The Frenchman made his Villa debut against Manchester United before returning to Goodison with his new side just weeks after leaving the club.
Digne left Everton having scored six goals across 127 appearances in all competitions during his three-and-a-half year spell on Merseyside, bagging 20 assists in that time. And now speaking on his exit, Digne has explained what happened under the Spaniard.
“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 teammates,” he told French publication L’Equipe via Sport Witness.
“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.”
He then continued, saying: “It was a way for him to protect himself. I never asked for that. 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).”
One of Digne’s main criticisms of Benitez was his preferred style of play. The French international believes his side were capable of playing a much more possession based game.
And now speaking on the feeling towards Benitez, Digne has revealed that his feelings towards Benitez’s approach were the same as the rest of his team-mates. He then goes one step further claiming the Champions League winner had a 'bad philosophy' at the club.
“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. ”
While speaking on why he chose Villa, Dinge explained: “I was lucky to have several clubs and I chose Aston Villa for the project, the coach. I know it will work for me
“I did not speak about it with the coach (Didier Deschamps). As long as I have playing time and I perform well… It’s a club that has a history.
“And, over time, you will see that there will be the quality to break into the top seven in the Premier League. Managing to attract someone like Philippe is already a sign.
"This summer, it will still move a lot. There are ways. You have to progress quickly. It is an ambitious club.”
