Newcastle have confirmed that Rafa Benitez will be the manager for a period of three years and the announcement is now on the Newcastle web-site.
Rafa said he wants to be part of the great future he sees for Newcastle United.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Lee Charnley and Rafa Benitez at the signing
This is the statement just out by Newcastle United FC:
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Newcastle United are delighted to confirm that Rafa Benitez will remain as Newcastle United manager, after signing a new initial three-year contract.
On Wednesday afternoon the Spaniard put pen to paper on the deal which will keep him on Tyneside until at least the summer of 2019.
Benitez will have day-to-day responsibility for all football-related matters at the club.
The 56-year-old joined the Magpies in March, taking charge of the team for the final ten games of the 2015/16 season.
Despite the club’s eventual relegation, he led United to three victories and a six-game unbeaten run, which culminated in a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the season.
Benitez said:
“I am extremely pleased to be staying at Newcastle United.” Â “The love I could feel from the fans was a big influence for me in my decision to stay, as was my relationship with Lee Charnley and all the staff.”
“This is a huge club and I wanted to be part of the great future I can see for Newcastle United.”
Managing director Lee Charnley added:
“When we brought Rafa to the club in March, we knew he was a phenomenal manager and everything we have seen from him since has only served to reinforce that.
“We are therefore delighted to have secured his services for the next three years and I believe with Rafa as manager it gives us the best possible chance of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking and delivering success for this football club beyond that.
“It is clear that Rafa has connected deeply with the club’s supporters and we do not underestimate the role they have played in his decision to stay.
“He has captured the hearts and minds not just of the fans, but of everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him at the club thus far.
“As a world-class manager we had no doubt in our minds as to the importance of retaining him at Newcastle United.”
A further announcement regarding Benitez’s coaching staff will be made in due course.
25 comments so far
lochinvar
May 25, 2016 at 7:04 PM
Comment #1Love is in the air…..baby boom in nine months on Tyneside !
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
May 25, 2016 at 7:05 PM
Comment #2Finally did something right. Now, keep it up for the next three years.
toonfan76
May 25, 2016 at 7:09 PM
Comment #3BandB what is your problem? I just threw a question up there for a few opinions. Didn’t realise you just wanted someone to have a go at! Is that how you treat a fellow fan, just because I don’t post daily with my opinions. It was just a question!
Hail Wor Ashley
May 25, 2016 at 7:12 PM
Comment #4Just watched it on Periscope until they cut it off for written press part. Said categorically he doesn’t have to sell any players if he doesn’t want to when asked about departures.
Abbott
May 25, 2016 at 7:12 PM
Comment #5OMG finally… 🙂
Hail Wor Ashley
May 25, 2016 at 7:13 PM
Comment #6Also said he’s won trophies and now wants a project.
BandB
May 25, 2016 at 7:14 PM
Comment #7Not a word during a traumatic season toonfan76.
And yet up you pop with your mealy-mouthed Ashley question, like that was all that matters.
I predicted f****rs like you you show up now MONTHS ago.
And no. It’s not how I treat FANS.
toonluvva
May 25, 2016 at 7:14 PM
Comment #8Wow! Charnley managed to get someone over the line. It’s amazing what can be done when the desire to get back to the Premier League is so high.
Now, get behind Rafa, Messrs Charnley & Astley. You know how much relegation has cost us just for next season, we don’t want to be down for an extended period.
I’ll reserve total judgement until we are promoted. Then I want to see the management back Rafa’s ambition, and not just return to the tried and failed policy of finishing just above the drop zone.
Bambams
May 25, 2016 at 7:15 PM
Comment #9Nice to know the club gave the press loads of notice….
News conference now but no sky reporters
The club would of done so well to have had all the press in rather than the select few (stand to be corrected when I eventually see the interviews).
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
May 25, 2016 at 7:17 PM
Comment #10When Rafa was hired they had the full conference on Sky Sports later on that night so hopefully it will be on later
Burni
May 25, 2016 at 7:17 PM
Comment #11Lol loch u imagine? Loads of little rafas haha
i just hope the belief and the dicipline that started to shine thru can galvanise the team and we fly straight back up. He seems to be a great manager but its not 100% we will defo come up straight away.
fingers crossed tho… also if we keep the players who want to be here, we should still have a strong team.
BandB
May 25, 2016 at 7:17 PM
Comment #12Can someone explain to this person just how miserable I am going to make his life.
I’ve had enough of it.
Well done to all concerned today.
Time to make up nine years of lost time.
Newcastle expects.
Sheikh MagToon
May 25, 2016 at 7:18 PM
Comment #13Toonluvva,
What’s Rick got to do with the Toon?
Blackley and Brownlie
May 25, 2016 at 7:18 PM
Comment #14toonfan76
It’s no wonder some people rarely post … they probably don’t relish getting their head chewed off for no discernable reason when they do.
Essex Geordie Bill
May 25, 2016 at 7:19 PM
Comment #15Toonfan76
well done mate, I have contributed on a regular basis for year,s bad times and worse and I have never had a response from her.
There is a definite clique on the blog so post away others will respond, probably!
MadisonToon
May 25, 2016 at 7:19 PM
Comment #16toonfan76
Valid question – I think it’ll take a lot of positives to over-turn the years of negatives since Ashley took over. Just a look at one of the lists of league positions since he’s been here will show that he has a lot to overcome before the fans become pro-ashley. Just about everyone’s pleased with the current situation and would be ecstatic with a cup win…but it’s going to take more than just hiring one excellent manager (who would be responsible for a return to the Prem and the cup win) nearly a decade into owning the club for Ashley to turn his detractors into plaudits.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
May 25, 2016 at 7:19 PM
Comment #17What I have is a conviction that if I don’t want to sell any player I don’t need to.
Players will need to put in transfer requests to leave which will be good to see which ones are the rats who left the sinking ship after playing poorly to send us down!
Suspect Sissoko and Janmaat will hand in transfer requests
Bambams
May 25, 2016 at 7:20 PM
Comment #18LCBP
I hope you are right. Waited all afternoon for his interview.
Day to day responsibility! Brilliant !
Mister Tuff
May 25, 2016 at 7:20 PM
Comment #19toonfan76 – I posted about this the other day.
I think a lot of folk will hail Mr Tubbs as a hero for getting Rafa in and all his past misdeeds will be forgotten.
think it was Shearer who once said if you are winning nobody is really interested in anything else – there is an element of truth in that.
My personal view would be once a scumbag always a scumbag. His non football activities are certainly nothing to support – sweatshops, zero hours, OSC workers, Wonga, renaming SJP -just a few there.
BandB
May 25, 2016 at 7:21 PM
Comment #20This is Blackley and Brownie, toonfan76, 89, 45, 89, 2105.
He is a popular and well-respected poster.
BandB
May 25, 2016 at 7:23 PM
Comment #21I have actually, Essex.
I’ve sympathised with your inability to get a response several times.
toonfan76
May 25, 2016 at 7:24 PM
Comment #22Ah BandB,so this is the part where you tell me I’m not a real fan. Here’s something for you to think about. Your a stranger on a football blog, your opinion of me means nothing to me as you do not know me. It’s easy for me I will just not bother trying to engage fellow fans on the blog in future, call my question earlier an ice-breaker if you wish but the icy reception I received from you has made me think why did I bother. A few other bloggers managed to answer the question with no hostility. Shame!
Toon XI
May 25, 2016 at 7:28 PM
Comment #23B&B –
No reason to attack a poster simply because they read more than they post. I am in that camp as well – I read more comments than I comment on. This insane anger on this site towards fellow Toon fans because they don’t meet some level of criteria needs to stop. Yes, there are fans who are more devoted than others. We get that. However, it does not excuse the behavior witnessed on this site in recent months. We are all fans in our own way. And we all want success for the club.
BandB
May 25, 2016 at 7:31 PM
Comment #24The worst thing that could happen to this site is the pent up fury of rehashes of Ashley apologists looking for their day of vengeance .
It has happened before, and it will happen now.
toonluvva
May 25, 2016 at 7:46 PM
Comment #25Sheik Magtoon @13
Should read Mr Ashley, and of course not Astley!
You can blame the typo on trying to type too quickly.