Newcastle United

Championship manager rejected China move to stay

Rafa Benitez turned down the chance to manage in the megabucks Chinese Super League this summer. Instead, he extended his Newcastle United contract (Chronicle Live).

The likes of former England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson and ex-Chelsea and Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari both manage in China. The previous Real Madrid manager Benitez could have joined them.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard felt the challenge of taking the Magpies back into the Premier League was a good challenge for him. He has previously spoken of how fan reaction practically persuaded him to remain with the club.

In the home win over Tottenham Hotspur, the Geordie faithful sang constantly to try and force Benitez to remain at the club. The ex-Valencia manager won’t have been the only high-profile manager to be offered the chance to mange in China. Several big players have already moved across Europe to take on the challenge.

On a football scale there is no real competition, but financial it is a question Benitez had to answer. He is unlikely to be ‘short of a few quid’ but these Chineses clubs have been offering silly money for a little while now.

Still, this is all a thing of the past now. Newcastle are the big favourites to earn instant promotion back into the Premier League. That comes with its own pressures. Plus this is the first time Benitez will manage at Championship level.

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