Everton CEO Robert Elstone believes new manager Ronald Koeman will inspire them to Champions League.Photo/Raymond Makhaya.
NAIROBI, Kenya, July 8- The arrival of Dutchman Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park will herald a new awakening for the club and spur them to Champions League status, the club’s CEO Robert Elstone has told Capital Sport.
The Merseyside club fired Roberto Martinez as their coach after three disappointing seasons and hired the services of Dutchman Koeman from South Coast rivals Southampton FC last month.
Elstone believes with the proven track record of the tactician at Southampton where he coached Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama, the side can revolutionize to be one of the best in the English Premier League.
“What he’s delivered at Southampton over the last three years has been very impressive and we hope he can deliver the same and even more for Everton Football club,” Elstone told Capital Sport on the sidelines of his visit to Kenya where he held talks with Football Kenya Federation officials over avenues of partnering to improve local football.
Everton were the European Cup Winners’ Cup champions in the 1984/85 season and in their history have played only 10 Champions’ League matches.
But Elstone believes Koeman’s expertise coupled with the new investment brought into the club by Iranian investor Farhad Moshiri can spur the club to upset the top four status quo of the EPL.
“We absolutely hope so. We are a fiercely ambitious driven as a football club. We have one single objective which is to win games and win trophies. We hope for a very positive situation now that we have a great new management and new investment on board so a lot of the ingredients are in place,” Elstone said.
Romelu Lukaku taps the ball in from close range to ensure Everton claimed maximum points in the Premier League on September 28, 2015. PHOTO/AFP
Moshiri acquired 49.9% of the shares at the club in a deal reported to be around Sh26.3bn and that is expected to spur the club’s strength in acquiring personnel and getting experienced players who will steer their dream and ambition.
Already, the club has acquired the services of keeper Martin Stekelenburg from Fulham FC and Koeman is expected to continue shaping up his new team, the biggest task on his table being to keep striker Romelo Lukaku who is rumored to be eying an exit off the club.
With the arrival of experienced and respected coaches in the Premier League such as Antonio Conte with Chelsea, Pep Guardiola with Manchester City, Jose Mourinho with Manchester United and the existence of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City, Everton are expected to have a fight of their lives to see their dreams come true.
“The Premier League is an incredibly tough and every year it gets more competitive. There are four Champions League places and seven, eight, nine teams competing for that place so it will be tough. But we won’t lack the ambition and determination to reach to those goals,” a confident Elstone added.
Everton, who finished11th last season, begin their campaign this term at home to Totenham Hotspur, new home to Stars Captain Wanyama.
