Rafa is a party pooper
RAFA BENITEZ will take his Newcastle players to Spain next week – with a warning there will be “no parties”.
The Magpies boss celebrates two years in charge tomorrow but admits it has been slow progress fixing the club after relegation in 2016.
United face Southampton today then have 21 days with no game and are heading to Alicante for a friendly, possibly against Belgian side Antwerp, next weekend.
After West Brom stars got into trouble in Barcelona recently, and his former Liverpool players scrapped in Portugal back in 2007, Benitez said: “Yes, they can have a drink ... water, no problem!”
On that infamous training trip to Portugal with Liverpool, Craig Bellamy whacked team-mate John Arne Riise with a golf club because he refused to do karaoke.
And Benitez said: “I’ve not had big problems with my teams. The most famous was in Portugal with Liverpool, although we then ended up beating Barcelona.
“I don’t usually like to take everyone away from their families but because 21 days without a game is too long we will have a match against a team who will be competitive.
“The good thing is that the complex is not in the middle of the town so they have to stay there, relax and focus on football.”
Asked to sum up his two years in charge, he said: “There was disappointment in the first season. We thought we could stay up.
“In the second season we won the Championship and did really well. This year could be worse. It is fine.”