Wenger would surely never agree to working at a club owned by Mike Ashley
Rafa’s on the move - Chelsea again?
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Wenger would surely never agree to working at a club owned by Mike Ashley
Weird by Ashley, but that doesnt come as a surprise.
Pete Graves
✔@PeteGravesSky
So that's that. "No way back" according to Rafa's camp. As reported elsewhere today's statement was a surprise to him. The Spaniards priority was still to remain at #nufc. China move now looking likely. Again, a tremendous job done by @rafabenitezweb at SJP. Sad end.
7:54 PM - Jun 24, 2019
Pete Graves
✔@PeteGravesSky
So that's that. "No way back" according to Rafa's camp. As reported elsewhere today's statement was a surprise to him. The Spaniards priority was still to remain at #nufc. China move now looking likely. Again, a tremendous job done by @rafabenitezweb at SJP. Sad end.
7:54 PM - Jun 24, 2019
I actually feel really sad for the fans of that club. Here's a world class manager ready to take Newcastle to the next level. Built a decent side with pennies, transformed some of their mediocre player to good players. Just look at the reactions from the players for instance Hayden and Perez who developed a lot under his guidance.
www.geordiebootboys.com/news/newcastle-players-react-to-rafa-benitez-departure/amp/
Wish him the best
www.geordiebootboys.com/news/newcastle-players-react-to-rafa-benitez-departure/amp/
Wish him the best
The owner will see this as an opportunity to make money by selling his best players for inflated amounts to other PL rivals. Leta get some.....
Like I said, I'd take Almiron.
There is an expression, “When you learn all the languages, you can open all the doors.”
I will not lie to you, I am just as guilty as anyone of having my own ideas about people and places. Before I came to Napoli, I was really anxious because I didn’t know the language, and I had heard some people talking bad about the mafia and crime and all this stuff. I had never been there, so I didn’t know if they were telling the truth.
Actually, this is a funny story.
When I was in Belgium playing for Genk, my friend Ahmed was coming to stay at my house for a few days. So I’m waiting for him to arrive from the train, and I get this call from a strange number.
I answer, in English, “Hello? Who is this?”
The voice says, “Hello, this is Rafa Benítez.”
I say, “Come on, Ahmed, stop playing with me. I am waiting here for you.”
I hang up the phone.
He calls me again, and now I’m annoyed.
I say, “Ahmed, stop it. I am here. When do you arrive?”
He says, “Hello? I’m Rafa Benítez.”
I hang up the phone again.
Then I get a call from my agent. I pick up the phone.
He says, “Kouli, how are you? Have you heard from Rafa Benítez at Napoli? He’s going to call you.”
I said, “What?! Are you kidding me? I think he just called me. I thought it was my friend playing a joke!”
My agent calls Rafa to explain what happened, and then Rafa calls me again, and I pick up the phone like nothing has happened.
I say, “Hello, Rafa! Hello! Bonjour! Hola! Hello!”
He says, “Hello, do you want me to speak in English?”
I say, “As you wish, we speak whatever you want.”
So we ended up speaking in French.
He was asking me so many questions — do you have a girlfriend, do you like to go out to party, do you know the city, the players?
I said, “Well, Mister … I know Hamšík?”
The truth is, I didn’t really know the players or anything about the city, but of course I knew Rafa Benítez, and I was very impressed with everything he said.
I called my agent right away and I said, “Do whatever you have to do. We’re going to Napoli.”
There were only 48 hours left in the winter transfer window, and Napoli could not work out a deal with Genk. But Rafa was true to his word, and he bought me in the summer. When I arrived for my medical, I was very nervous, because I didn’t speak any Italian yet. I was greeted by the chairman, Mr. De Laurentiis, in the hallway.
And I think this says everything about Napoli and the club.
He’s looking at me kind of funny, and he says, “Oh, you’re Koulibaly?”
I say, “Yes, I am Koulibaly.”
He says, “But you’re not tall? Aren’t you 1.92 meters?”
I say, “No, Mr. President, I am 1.86 meters.”
He says, “Damn! It is written everywhere that you are 1.92! I am going to have to speak to Genk and get some money back!”
I say, “It’s alright, Mr. President, you pay the full amount. I will give every centimeter back to you on the field, don’t worry.”
He liked that a lot. He was laughing and he said, “O.K., O.K., you are welcome here in Napoli, Koulibaly. You are welcome.”
Mr. President, you pay the full amount. I will give every centimeter back to you on the field, don’t worry.
After my medical, Rafa took me out to lunch, and the first thing he did after we sat down, before we even got the menus, he took all the wine glasses from the other tables. He was laying them out on the table and sliding them around. I am thinking, What is he doing? Is he mad?
He said, “O.K., now I show you the tactics.”
The waiter comes over, and the Mister is pushing the glasses everywhere, saying, “This is how we play. You go here, then you go there. Do you understand? Now, you must do two things very quickly: You must understand these tactics, and you must learn Italian.”
I said, “O.K., boss, O.K.”
When I returned from a little vacation, Rafa shut me in a room with the head of video analysis, and he was showing me all of my best plays. Sensational passes, dribbling, sliding tackles.
He says, “This, this and this?”
I say, “Yes? It’s good, no?”
He says, “Don’t do this shit anymore.”
I say, “But I won the ball back!”
It’s hard to translate the next part, but he says, “This is ass! You won it back because of your strength. If your opponent was smarter, you would be in trouble.”
Then he shows me this other video. Very boring. Normal plays.
He’s smiling and he says, “Yes! This is good. This is very good.”
I say, “But, sir, these are simple plays.”
He says, “Yes, Kouli, exactly.”
This says everything about my experience here. When I arrived in Italy, I was a boy. I became a better footballer, because I learned top-level tactics. They are so meticulous with the tactics here. But the most important thing is that I also became a family man and a real Neapolitan.
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That's why I don't understand the hate he gets here, probably because he didn't put an arm around Gerrard.
Anyway, so many players went on to become top class or world class under Rafa. Fucking Arbeloa was starting for Spain and Real Madrid.
That is such an on-brand Rafa story.
I wanted the whole suckling pig, but all they bought me was a Chicken Chow Mein
May be he has ideas to buy Newcastle out of trouble.
The Chinese Super League ends in Dec. Vacancies among the European clubs should open up by then.
Good move for him. Finally he is that tall dark guy looking down on his men....
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