Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed when he hopes to meet with Magpies owner Mike Ashley.
Benitez’s team ran out 4-0 winners over Fulham on the final day of the season on Sunday, but the Spaniard’s future remains murky with less than two months remaining on his contract.
He gave an update on potential talks over his future after the game: “Hopefully we meet next week,” he said, as per journalist Lee Ryder’s personal Twitter account.
Rafa on Ashley: "Hopefully we meet next week." #nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) May 12, 2019
OPINION
Now that the season is over, and signed off with in some style by this Newcastle team, the focus from everyone on Tyneside – if it wasn’t already – will be on the fate of Benitez. The Magpies boss proved once again this campaign that he is very much a world class manager, doing what he did with this squad of players. Now it’s up to Ashley to ensure that he keeps the Spaniard around moving forward. Why wouldn’t you keep him on board? He’s the club’s finest manager since the late, great Sir Bobby Robson, and so how could you possibly let him slip through the cracks? Hopefully that doesn’t happen, of course. Hopefully Ashley pulls his fingers out and gives Benitez the reassurances he needs to stay where is, but it’s worrying that it’s taken this long anyway. Still, there are no distractions anymore, so here’s hoping that Ashley makes it to the meeting Benitez wants next week.
