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‘Utterly devastated’, ‘Ashley out’ – Newcastle fans react to Rafa Benitez exit statement

Jay Williams

Mon 1 July 2019 7:45, UK

following his Newcastle United exit. The popular manager recently announced that he would be leaving Newcastle at the end of his contract.

Benitez enjoyed a successful stay at St James’ Park and overachieved with a limited budget. Many Newcastle fans have been vocal about how Mike Ashley let Benitez down with a lack of spending and ambition.

But Benitez still won the hearts of the Geordies. The Spaniard guided Newcastle to promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking and has twice kept the Magpies afloat in the Premier League.

Rafa Benitez: Club did not share my vision

Benitez wanted to push up the table, enter the top half and start competing for European qualification. But he has implied that the current ownership is content with being a lower-half team.

In his statement, : “I wanted to stay, but I didn’t just want to sign an extended contract, I wanted to be part of a project. Unfortunately, it became increasingly clear to me that those at the top of the Club did not share the same vision.”

Here are some tweets as Newcastle fans reflected on Benitez’s parting statement.

Thank you for everything that you have done for us Rafa. You gave us hope where there was none.

You’ll always be a Geordie.

— If Rafa Goes We Go (@IfRafaGoesWeGo)

good luck boss, love you x

— max♛ (@shxIvey)

Thanks for everything Rafa. I hope one day we’ll have an owner worthy of you who shares your vision and ambition. Thank you so much for trying.

— ????????? #nufc #AshleyOut (@HanoiToon)

Rafa, I’m still utterly devastated with the thought of you not managing nufc, but you have the respect and love of every fan, we will never forget what you did for us and how you fought for a better future for us. You are very much a Geordie legend, thankyou

— Chris Cossey (@Cosseycj)

You improved players ten fold, you brought unity, you reinstilled pride and dignity to a flub void of footballig aspiration. Thanks for all the good times Rafa. You’ll always be welcome on Tyneside. Once a Geordie always a Geordie.

— Chris (@NUFCHeron)

Classy and eloquent as ever Rafa, made his point without any mud slinging. Forever an legend

— The Perennial Pundit (@PerennialPundit)