Newcastle has signed Benitez on a three-year contract, but there is reportedly a break clause attached in the deal if Newcastle United is indeed relegated.
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Benitez opened up with an impressive Press conference at St James’ Park on Saturday, and was asked by the Spanish media whether waiting for a mid-table La Liga club would have been a better bet than relegation-haunted Newcastle. I am here trying to do my best to stay in the Premier League, and if I have a compromise in the future it means I believe we will stay up.
Rafael Benitez will return to the Barclays Premier League fray when he sends his Newcastle side out for the first time against leaders Leicester on Monday evening.
“I am convinced we will [stay up]”. We were just unfortunate enough to learn about it as it played out.
Benitez has 10 games left to save Newcastle’s season, with the Toon Army now 19th in the league.
“We know he is a top manager – he has been with big teams and it is something good for us, so we are looking forward to working with him”. I didn’t know until afterwards that they were injured or had knocks but were out on the pitch.
“After that I will be a manager but my first concentration is on the ten games”. “Credit to the players on their day off – they wanted to train”.
The city of Newcastle is a hub excitement following Benitez’s appointment, after he replaced Steve McClaren, whose relationship with the fans hit an all-time low after defeat by Bournemouth.
Now it has turned to the 55-year-old, a former coach of Inter Milan, Valencia and Chelsea, who won the European Champions League with Liverpool.
Newcastle said Benitez would bring coaching assistants Fabio Pecchia, Francisco de Míguel Moreno and Antonio Gomez Perez with him. “I can’t be happier”, added the Spaniard, who kept his home in the North-West after leaving Liverpool. “That’s his decision so we just do what he wants and be ready if we’re called upon”.
Benitez’s arrival at Newcastle has taken some of the glare away from Leicester, who can take another stride towards the title with a victory.
“All of us must push together in the same direction and with the same target in mind”, he told the club website.
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“Newcastle is a big club and we are not where we should be, so that’s why Rafa is here”.
