Thursday 26 May 2016 06:54, UK
Sky Sports News HQ reporter Keith Downie lifts the lid on how Newcastle persuaded Rafa Benitez to stick with them in the Championship...
When Rafa Benitez insisted on having a break-clause inserted in his three-year Newcastle contract in March, the Spaniard was making it clear he did not want to lower himself to the Championship.
Fast-forward two months and the man who began the season in charge of Real Madrid has gone full circle: he's swapped the Champions League for the Championship.
The 56-year-old will lead Newcastle in England's second tier next season, after the club gave him in writing the assurances he demands to continue in the St James' Park hot-seat.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool boss has been won over by the groundswell of support for him from the Newcastle fans, even though he failed to stave off relegation.
An hour after a packed St James' Park sang his name throughout a rather bizarre season-ending 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham, Benitez was given the promise of full backing by club owner Mike Ashley. But the Spaniard wanted it in writing.
What followed was a succession of meetings between Sports Direct tycoon Ashley, managing director Lee Charnley and Benitez himself, as the finer details of a watertight contract were drawn up by lawyers.
Benitez effectively made it clear to the St James' Park power-brokers in the hours after that final-day win over Spurs that he would be willing to stay - provided he was delivered the assurances he felt would ensure he gets them back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
What the Spaniard wanted, in essence, was to guarantee a structure was put in place that would mean if he made a mistake it would not cost Newcastle promotion.
Although Benitez has managed in the lower leagues of Spain in his early days as a coach, he has never experienced the ultra-competitive, high-intensity English Championship.
As Newcastle's fans became increasingly worried about the wall of silence from their club last week, lawyers from both parties were working on a contract to ensure Benitez didn't suffer the same fate as some of his predecessors, who at times had to work with their hands tied.
The former Real Madrid manager, who was keen to take a job in the north of England to be close to his family on The Wirral, wanted in writing the full control of transfers to a squad that will need overhauling in the years to come.
Benitez also wanted inked promises that he could bring in his own scouting staff, and assurances of a budget for this summer and then again next January. A budget that will be the biggest in the Football League.
This is a team whose net spend was second only to Manchester City last season; Mike Ashley will have to open his wallet once more.
Rafa Benitez wanted written assurances of a budget for this summer and then again next January. A budget that will be the biggest in the Football League.
He will also have to rip up the entire template that's to blame for taking Newcastle down.
It is also thought that Benitez will make use of the loan market this season, with high-up contacts across Europe willing to allow their players to play in front of Newcastle's passionate support.
But aside from the written assurances, it was the full backing of those 50,000 St James' Park fanatics that twisted Benitez's arm - and allowed him a vision of what can be achieved at this sleeping giant of a football club.
They sang his name throughout the 5-1 win over Spurs. Benitez could at times be seen gazing out in bewilderment that this was coming from fans of a side who just four days earlier had been sent spinning down to the Championship.
Those same fans celebrated with gusto when news filtered through that Benitez was on his way to Tyneside on Wednesday afternoon to complete the paperwork and be unveiled for a second time.
The arrival of Benitez's own scouting network will most likely mean an end to Graham Carr's tenure at the club.
Carr, the man who brought Yohan Cabaye, Matthieu Debuchy and Cheick Tiote to Newcastle, was lauded by Ashley at first but the recent arrivals of Remy Cabella, Florian Thauvin and Seydou Doumbia have cast doubt over his eye for a player.
Benitez promised the fans he would make his decision within a fortnight. He's done just that, with three days to spare.
He wanted to leave some time on the off-chance a bigger club came calling. There was interest from a couple of clubs in Spain, but neither got anywhere. Reported overtures from Everton didn't emerge, and Benitez pledged his future to Newcastle. A future that he's mapped out so that only a third of it will be spent in the Championship.
