Newcastle reportedly want ‘great’ manager who Mario Balotelli said ‘made me much better’

Wed 13 October 2021 5:45, UK

Newcastle United are reportedly keen on Lucien Favre, a manager who comes with great endorsements from Mario Balotelli and Marco Reus.

According to The Telegraph, the new Magpies owners are eyeing Favre and Frank Lampard, both of whom are currently free agents.

Newcastle are set to sack Steve Bruce before the Magpies host Tottenham at St James’ Park on Sunday.

And plenty of managers have been linked with the Newcastle reins in recent days.

A free agent such as Favre would make for a pretty straightforward and swift appointment.

And the 63-year-old is a manager with a great CV and credentials who’d be a great shout for Newcastle.

Favre, a former Switzerland international, began his coaching career in 1993.

He has managed the likes of Hertha Berlin, Borussia Monchengladbach, Nice and Dortmund.

While at Nice, Favre got the best out of Balotelli, who scored an impressive 43 times in 66 matches under the Swiss coach.

“He made me much better, especially tactically. Before, I worked on instinct,” Balotelli said in 2020, according to .

“I discovered a great coach. He is very good tactically, but also in the way he manages the locker room.”

And Marco Reus told the Bundesliga in 2018: “I’ve had quite a few club coaches and among them, [Favre] is probably the best I’ve ever had.”

Favre was close to joining Crystal Palace in the summer but rejected the opportunity to do so, according to .

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