Benitez refuses to commit future to Newcastle despite promotion

Rafa Benitez has refused to confirm he will manage Newcastle next season despite securing promotion back to the Premier League.

Newcastle thrashed Preston 4-1 on Monday night to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt but there is still doubt over Benitez’s future beyond the end of this season.

Benitez’s relationship with the Newcastle board has strained since the start of the season after promises weren’t kept in the transfer window after selling Andros Townsend to Crystal Palace for £13m in January.

The Spaniard is expected to hold talks with the Newcastle hierarchy to find out what budget he would have in the summer as the club bid to secure their top-flight status once again.

“The fans have been amazing with me,” The Daily Mail quote Benitez as saying after securing promotion. “Their loyalty and everything it means to being a top team like this, with the city behind you.

“That is why I decided to stay, and now I am even happier than before that I made this decision. I am really proud and really pleased.

“Now is the time to enjoy what we have done. I am sure if we do the right things, we have to prepare everything to be strong enough for the Premier League.

“We have to wait and enjoy it, play another two games and see where we are.” Asked if Benitez will be in charge next season, he responded: “You never know. That is football.

“I am really pleased to be here, and really happy and proud for everything we have achieved. Hopefully, we can put in the foundations for something that will be a guarantee for the future.

“What we need is to enjoy today, and after we will see where we are.”

The Magpies will now be looking to secure their place in the Premier League as Championship winners.

They are four points behind Brighton with two games remaining. It will mean Brighton losing matches against Bristol City and away to Aston Villa on the last day of the season and for Newcastle to take four points from games against Cardiff and Barnsley to top the table, courtesy of their superior goal difference.

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