‘A reference for me’: Newcastle reportedly considering a coach who idolises Benitez

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It took 12 years for a Premier League club to take a punt on a Spanish manager.

But, from the appointment of Rafa Benitez at Liverpool in 2004 and Unai Emery’s arrival at Arsenal in May 2018, that number had risen eight-fold.  

According to the latter, it was the former who opened the door for Spanish coaches in English football. After all, Benitez tasted Champions League and FA Cup glory at Anfield while also guiding the Reds to the brink of Premier League success in 2009. 

“I respect him a lot because he is a very good coach and has a lot of experience and a lot of titles,” Emery said.

“He is the first of the Spanish coaches to work here,” Emery told The Guardian after taking over from the legendary Arsene Wenger three years ago, paying tribute to the legacy created by one of the most influential tactical minds of the modern era.  

“He knows the Premier League. He got the best performance with a lot of teams and, above all, with Liverpool.”

“Here in England he has more experience than me,” Emery would add a few months later, via The Chronicle. “He is a big reference for us, for me, as a coach, (with) his work and his courage.”

Could Unai Emery follow in Rafa Benitez’s footsteps at Newcastle?

The careers of Benitez and Emery, while far from identical, certainly share a few distinct similarities.

Both arrived in England after successful spells in Valencia, having lifted European trophies during their time on Spanish soil.

And with Amanda Staveley unable to lure Benitez back to Newcastle United – the 61-year-old is writing a new story elsewhere in the Premier League with Everton these days – The Mail believes that the newly-moneyed Magpies could turn to Emery instead, with the now-Villarreal coach forming part of the early discussions regarding a potential Steve Bruce successor. 

It remains to be seen whether Emery is willing to walk away from Villarreal just a few months after sealing the fourth Europa League title of his career. The report claims he has reservations about a return to England, but it would be fitting if a man who idolises Benitez takes over at St James’ Park to build on the foundations he laid on the banks of the Tyne.