Newcastle are set to fly to Spain for a training trip with a three week gap between fixtures, but Rafa Benitez has ensured that there will be no controversy on the visit.
Rafa Benitez has ensured fans that Newcastle’s mid-season training trip to Spain will not be engulfed with controversy like similar trips made by other teams in the past.
Following their victory over Southampton, the Magpies have a three week gap between fixtures and the manager has decided to take his squad away to his native land to prepare for their remaining games in the season with friendlies against Royal Antwerp, an Icelandic top tier side and two different national teams on the cards.
“I don’t usually like to take everyone away from their families, but because 21 days without a game is too long,” the Spaniard told The Sun.
“So we will have a match against a team who will be competitive. We have an option in Spain, from Thursday until Sunday. We will train and then play Sunday.”
Last month, West Brom’s warm weather training trip ended in controversy, which has coincided with the Baggies’ horror season, but Benitez will be hoping for a drama-free excursion when he takes his squad away from their natural surroundings.
The Newcastle manager has insisted that the sort of behaviour that marred West Brom’s trip will not take place amongst his squad members and that he was the entire situation ‘under control’.
Regardless of what he says, Benitez will surely be wary after his experience taking Liverpool away in 2007, when then Reds stars Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise were involved in an altercation.
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