Following Saturday’s win over Stoke City, a fit-again Rafa Benitez made an appearance on Match of the Day, speaking to Gary Lineker in what turned out to be a slightly awkward encounter!
Towards the end of the interview, Lineker told to Benitez that Alan Shearer had offered to do the first episode of next season’s MOTD in his underwear should he lead Newcastle to the title (a joke of course).
He followed this saying “Rafa, can you pull it off for us?” – an unfortunate turn of phrase given he’d just been referring to Alan Shearer in his boxers!
It then appeared that Benitez may have misunderstood what had been said, with the Spaniard responding with a serious answer to suggest he’d failed to grasp Lineker’s gaffe.
Here’s Saturday nights amusingly awkward encounter so you can see it for yourself:
What was that, @GaryLineker?! ?#MOTD pic.twitter.com/6ddxuwOvkU
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 16, 2017
The ‘joke’ may have been lost on a slightly befuddled Benitez, but it’s fair to say Alan Shearer found it funny, with the BBC pundit struggling to compose himself after the interview:
@alanshearer after Lineker & Benitez's awkward encounter on @BBCMOTD ? #NUFC pic.twitter.com/6X0gLR8q65
— Black&WhiteBarmy (@BlackWhiteBarmy) September 18, 2017