Former Newcastle United midfielder Didi Hamann believes that Rafa Benitez would be prepared to manage the club in the Championship if they don’t manage to avoid relegation.
Hamman, who won the Champions League for Liverpool under the guidance of the Spaniard back in 2005, thinks that Benitez may choose not to activate the clause in his contract that will allow him to leave the North East side if they do end up playing in the second tier next year.
Speaking on Talksport, and as reported by The Chronicle, the German international said:
I think Newcastle would love to keep him and I wouldn’t put it past him to stay. Obviously he needs to weigh up his options but, if there is one club he will go into the Championship with, it will be Newcastle. He has seen in the few weeks he has been there that there is a lot of potential up north and it is a fantastic club.
Newcastle need a favour from both Everton and Watford if they are to stay up. They need both sides to avoid defeat to Sunderland and they will have to beat Tottenham in order to stay in the Premier League and Hamman is hopeful that things will work out for his former side.
Sunderland still has to get a few points, I expect [Newcastle] to beat Spurs, because they have a few players out suspended, and that may still be enough. Fingers crossed they do stay up.
Time will tell if Hamann’s optimism was warranted.
