Rafa BINitez

On Monday 24th June, Newcastle United confirmed that they would part ways with the former Champions League winning manager Rafa Benitez. The expected news broke out after months of speculation that the Spaniard would walk away from St. James' park if he didn't receive the backing of funds from the hierarchy at Newcastle United.

The Geordie club released the following statement as they released the tough news to their fans via their website:

"It is with disappointment that we announce manager Rafael Benítez will leave Newcastle United upon the expiry of his contract on 30th June 2019.

We have worked hard to extend Rafa’s contract over a significant period of time, however it has not been - and will not be - possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives.

We would like to thank Rafa and his coaching team for their efforts over the last three years and their significant contribution to what has been collectively achieved.

We would also like to thank our supporters, players and staff for their patience during a period of uncertainty."

This news, although not a shock for many football fans, did significantly cause an uproar, especially amongst the Newcastle fanbase. Plenty of football fans portrayed their frustration towards Mike Ashley and the board of Newcastle, including the celebrity duo Ant and Dec and YouTube star True Geordie on their Twitter accounts. Ant and Dec described the situation to not extend Benitez' contract as a "disastrous move" that the board should be "ashamed of" and ending the tweet strongly with "Mike Ashley - get out of OUR club". Whilst social media star True Geordie labelled the decision as the "dumbest move ever".

Understandably, fans of the Magpies and football in general should be aggrieved by the club's move to not extend his contract as it highlights a prime example of an owner using a football club for personal profit.

In my opinion, I can't quite grasp how Mike Ashley and the board at Newcastle believe that getting rid of Rafa Benitez can be a positive move for the club. Over the past 3 years, the Spanish magician has arguably saved them from further downward spirals towards League One after a torrid start to their 2016/17 Championship campaign. He brought them to winning the Championship title on the 7th May 2017 thus boosting them back up to the top flight of English football. With a tight budget and a limited squad to work with, Benitez secured Newcastle two mid table finishes, 10th and 13th, which delighted the toon fans as they understood the owner's continuous lack of investment.

With that being said, I'd like to wish Rafa all the best for further footballing roles he may take in the future, and I wish to see him back in the Premier League as soon as possible. He is a great character, advocate and tactician of the game.

Rafa will leave on the 30th June alongside his coaching staff, Paco de Míguel Moreno, Antonio Gómez Pérez and Mikel Antia.

Rafa Benitez waves goodbye to St. James' Park and Newcastle fans.