Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez will leave the club when his contract expires on June 30th, according to Monday reports.
Rafael Benitez (59), took over from Steve McClaren as Newcastle United manager in 2016. His time at the Toon has been reportedly trying for him, and definitely trying for Newcastle United fans.
Rafael Benitez has managed Valencia, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid. His marriage with Newcastle was curious, to say the least. Yet he took to the fans and crucially, the fans took to him.
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Following Newcastle’s 2017 promotion, it quickly became apparent that Benitez was the only difference between them and a championship club. He guided them to 10th in their first season back in the Premier League, and 13th last season.
Benitez is a quality manager, and the thought of what he could do at a massive, historic club like Newcastle given the right backing was tantalizing.
However, he was never given the backing he needed. Benitez has spent the last two years being lead on by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Ashley repeatedly went back on promises to provide Benitez with transfer funds, leading to a frayed relationship between the two.
Newcastle United thanked him in a statement:
“We have worked hard to extend Rafa’s contract over a significant period of time.”
“However, it has not been – and will not be – possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives.
“The process to appoint a successor will now begin.”
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It’s unclear what will happen to Newcastle now. They will not be able to land a manager like Benitez again.
“We would like to thank Rafa and his coaching team for their efforts over the last three years and their significant contribution to what has been collectively achieved,” the statement added.
“We would also like to thank our supporters, players and staff for their patience during a period of uncertainty.”
