Benitez was confirmed as Everton manager on Wednesday afternoon after he signed a three-year contract with the Merseyside club.
The club have endured grief in their pursuit of the Spaniard from a vocal section of the Everton supporters due to his status as a legend at Liverpool and his previous jibes at the Toffees when he was the manager at Anfield.
But Moshiri powered on and drove the club towards appointing Benitez despite the misgivings of some of the supporters.
It has been claimed that a phone call with Abramovich convinced the Everton chief that he was right in seeking the Spaniard.
The Chelsea owner provided a glowing reference of Benitez and that convinced Moshiri that the 61-year-old was his man.
Benitez’s short reign as Chelsea manager also faced severe fan opposition as the Chelsea supporters disliked him, but the Russian stressed that he is one of the best managers he has worked with.
“Roman told him [Moshiri] Benitez is one of the best managers he has worked with”, a source told The Athletic.
“He was extremely positive about him as a manager and a person.
“He praised the way he got the dressing room behind him, the performances he got at Chelsea under the pressure and his ‘big balls’ for weathering the storm.
“It was a very influential call in making up Moshiri’s mind.”
Benitez will hope to bridge the gap with Everton fans as soon as possible and get them on his side once the season starts next month.
