How Newcastle convinced Rafa

Sky Sports News HQ reporter Keith Downie lifts the lid on how Newcastle persuaded Rafa Benitez to stick with them in the Championship…

When Rafa Benitez insisted on having a break-clause inserted in his three-year Newcastle contract in March, the Spaniard was making it clear he did not want to lower himself to the Championship.

Fast-forward two months and the man who began the season in charge of Real Madrid has gone full circle: he’s swapped the Champions League for the Championship.

The 56-year-old will lead Newcastle in England’s second tier next season, after the club gave him in writing the assurances he demands to continue in the St James’ Park hot-seat.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool boss has been won over by the groundswell of support for him from the Newcastle fans, even though he failed to stave off relegation.

An hour after a packed St James’ Park sang his name throughout a rather bizarre season-ending 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham, Benitez was given the promise of full-backing by club owner Mike Ashley. But the Spaniard wanted it in writing.

What followed was a succession of meetings between Sports Direct tycoon Ashley, managing director Lee Charnley and Benitez himself, as the finer details of a watertight contract were drawn up by lawyers.

Benitez effectively made it clear to the St James’ Park power-brokers in the hours after that final day win over Spurs that he would be willing to stay – provided he was delivered the assurances he felt would ensure he gets them back up to the Premier League at the first time of …

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