All change for the Magpies in heat of Portugal
ON the field, on a sticky July night in north-east Portugal, the temperature was unbearable enough for Newcastle United players as they were battered 4-0 by Braga at the picturesque Municipal Stadium.
Off it, though, things were close to boiling point in 2018 for Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United as the popular boss was as transparent as he could be about the club’s prospects in the transfer window.
We didn’t know it then, but this would be Rafa’s final season as Toon manager but the warning signs were already there.
The venue was built in 2003, and was a venue for Euro 2004 in Portugal, and is also known as A Pedreira as it is cleverly carved into a mountain.
Journalists and club staff alike had posed in front of the illustrious backdrop on the eve of the game on a relatively calm evening at the end of Newcastle’s week long stay in the country.
But the mood in the bowels of the stadium after a tough week was nothing but ugly.
Players had already told club officials they were effectively on strike when refusing to speak to both the travelling press and even the club website that night as they were involved in a dispute over a bonus.
Even one of the players who was usually a home banker in the mixed zone in South Korea international Ki Sung-yueng said: “Sorry guys” as he walked towards the bus.
Yet when Benitez took his seat for
the press conference that night, the full scale of the problems behind the scenes were laid bare and Rafa’s pain was there for all to see.
When asked what the problems were that night, Benitez simply said: “Everything. The fans have to be concerned. We are concerned. They have to be concerned.
“Things are not going well off the pitch and you can see a reflection of that on the pitch. We will try to change things in the next 10 days. We will try our very best. I have no idea (on transfers). We can talk and be close but after we’re not so close.”
The next day Newcastle owner Mike Ashley reluctantly released funds to bring in Yoshimori Muto before an unusual loan “swap” saw Dwight Gayle head to West Brom and Salomon Rondon head to St James’ Park. A fee of £6million was paid for Federico Fernandez.
But Benitez’s struggles with Ashley were only just starting and it was obvious that this was the beginning of the end for the former Real Madrid boss.
United will head back to Portugal this summer under new management compared to their last visit to the country.
And Eddie Howe will hope by the time Newcastle walk out at Estadio da Luz to tackle Benfica they will have no woes when it come to transfers.
In fact, by the time United play the former European Cup winners they should have the majority of their recruitment done.
The game against Benfica will be just 10 days before the opening day of the campaign against Nottingham Forest and by that time Howe will hope has at least five new signings on board. The days of political pain at Newcastle may well be over but there are enough survivors from Braga still around to have a few memories sparked.