Fonseca tops Staveley’s shortlist for Newcastle job
The Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca is the choice of Newcastle United director, and part owner, Amanda Staveley to succeed Steve Bruce and steer the club away from relegation danger.
Fonseca, 48, has held talks with the club, whose representatives included Staveley after she brokered the takeover deal that put St James’ Park in the control of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Staveley is understood to be impressed with the former AS Roma manager, who won three titles with Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, but any final decision would have to be rubber-stamped by Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-rumayyan.
He represents the interests of principal shareholder PIF which owns 80 per cent of the club. Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners holds 10 per cent, with the remaining 10 per cent controlled by the Reuben family, represented on the club’s newly constituted board by son Jamie.
The club’s major decision is whether they need a shortterm appointment to ensure survival before building from next summer’s transfer window.
Fonseca has no experience of the Premier League, but was at
Roma after their takeover in 2020 and reached the Europa League semi-finals last season. It is understood he would command a salary of £6million, including bonuses. Should there be an agreement for him to succeed Bruce, Fonseca would be among the betterpaid managers outside Champions Leaguequalifying or titlewinning coaches in the top flight. Al-rumayyan agreed this week to pay Bruce’s £8million compensation clause for his departure. Securing the right man to lead the club will mean more investment, even for coaches such as Fonseca who are unattached and do not trigger a “transfer” fee payable to another club.
Frank Lampard, Eddie Howe and Lucien Favre are others under consideration who are looking to return to management, while Steven Gerrard has started his coaching career at Rangers.
Managers joining a club mid-season usually negotiate a survival bonus should they keep the club up. Newcastle are second from bottom, just a point ahead of Norwich City, but also one victory away from climbing out of the bottom three.
Fonseca was in discussions to be Jose Mourinho’s successor at Tottenham Hotspur in the summer before talks broke down, but he has made it clear he would work in England for the right project.
He has been based in Kiev, where his wife is from, and some talks with Newcastle have been via video calls. He has outlined his football philosophy that has developed throughout a coaching career that started in the lower leagues of the Portuguese game and then into high-profile jobs with Porto, Pacos Ferreira and Braga. In a recent interview with The Daily Telegraph, he emphasised his commitment to playing attacking football and said that his style would suit English football perfectly.
Until an appointment has been made, Graeme Jones has been put in charge as caretaker manager and will take the team for tomorrow’s trip to Crystal Palace.