Former Newcastle United defender Jesus Gamez has admitted that Rafa Benitez ‘didn’t contribute anything’ to him during his two-year stint at St James’ Park – saying the Spaniard is someone he ‘doesn’t like talking about’.
The 33-year-old arrived during the summer of 2016 following our relegation into the Championship, however went on to make just 10 appearances for the club across the next two seasons.
He was released in the summer and is yet to find a new club, with many likely to be wary of his injury issues and lack of game time during his unsuccessful spell in the North East.
Speaking to the Spanish press, here’s what he’s had to say about his time on Tyneside today – being complimentary about parts of his experience, but less so about Rafa Benitez:
“Yes, it got complicated at the beginning with an injury, then I broke my collarbone. I struggled to get back.
“At the family level, the experience was very good. At sporting level, the fans and the teammates were sensational, but the coach did not understand the situations that happened and also the deal was not the ideal one.
“He [Benitez] is a person that I do not like talking about because he didn’t contribute anything to me in these two years and I have nothing to say about him.”
It was reported soon after Gamez’s release that Rafa was not impressed by what he saw from the Spaniard soon after signing him, questioning the references he was given about the player.
Like Achraf Lazaar and Matz Sels, he was quickly excluded from his first team plans and rarely included in matchday squads.
It makes you wonder if any disagreement occurred between the pair, but perhaps highlights Benitez’s brutal nature more than anything.
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