Football

Rafa Benitez takes swipe at Newcastle owner Mike Ashley after winning his first match as Dalian Yifang boss


Rafa Benitez has been impressed with how his new Chinese club is run (Picture: Getty Images)

Rafael Benitez is enjoying his new life in China and believes his new employers at Dalian Yifang compare very favourably to his old Newcastle boss, Mike Ashley.

The Spaniard took charge of the Chinese Super League side at the start of the month and won his first game as manager on Sunday, beating Henan Jianye 3-1 at the Dalian Sports Center.

It was an encouraging start for the 59-year-old and he has been impressed with how he has been treated by the higher-ups at his new club.

‘Since the moment of our arrival we have really been touched by the kindness and respect that we have been shown,’ Benitez wrote in his personal blog. ‘Our hosts have treated us with great consideration and are always keen to make us happy.

Mike Ashley rarely met Benitez during their time together at Newcastle (Picture: Getty Images)

‘As we all know from experience, in football, just as in everyday life, when people show you respect and affection and do everything they can to make things easier for you, life is much happier, even when you face difficult moments.

‘I must say that I have had more meetings with the Chairman, the President and the General Manager this week, than I had in 3 years at Newcastle. They haven’t just been work meetings, rather signs of respect in which we have been able to appreciate the differences and similarities in our cultures.’

Benitez sees the way Dalian Yifang is run as a clear contrast to how Ashley runs Newcastle, having previously spoken of a breakdown in trust at St James’ Park.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid manager has signed a two-and-a-half year deal in Dalian and takes charge of his second game as boss on Friday against Guangzhou R&F.

While he is enjoying the new experiences so far, Benitez admits there are a lot of little quirks to get used to in the Chinese footballing culture.

‘I’ll share a little experience from my first match,’ Rafa continued. ‘When the game ended I walked onto the pitch to shake hands with the ref as I used to in England (when I wasn’t angry) and was quickly told to come back as this is forbidden in China.

‘I had to wait for all the players to shake hands with each other and the referees in the centre circle, then for our players to walk around the pitch thanking the fans.’

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