OPINION
The future of Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez has been thrown into serious doubt after it was revealed Spain are heavily considering him to take up the role as head coach by the Northern Echo – and he should be thinking about taking it.
The manager’s future is now up in the air as he now decides whether to stay on and oversee Newcastle’s run in the Premier League next season, or stunningly take the Spanish hotseat and revive the country’s international hopes.
However, Benitez must be leaning towards the top job in Spain as he has simply outgrown Newcastle and needs to thrive at a higher level.
The Spaniard has been a firm fan favourite at St James’ Park for a while now and the Newcastle faithful would react strongly if Benitez did exit the club after all that he has done for them.
He has led them to a top ten finish in their first season back in the Premier League and has brought the best out of his players – but as they say, all good things must come to an end.
Benitez deserves all of the praise that comes his way – and even if the Newcastle fans accuse him of betraying the club, the opportunity at Spain would be too good a one to dismiss.
He has fantastic man management skills and this is exactly what Spain need if they are to sparkle on the international stage once again.
Spain have fizzled out since their World Cup win in 2010, and they need someone like Benitez to revive their hopes of winning anything, especially with Germany an ever-formidable force in world football.
He has the pedigree to turn them into world-beaters all over again, to be feared by their opponents for their fast-flowing attacking football.
The opportunity to manage at such a high level is something Benitez needs if he wants to be considered amongst the top managers in the world. At Newcastle, he will not be able to do that and he will eventually grow frustrated at the prospect of long-term management of a top-ten club at best.
Newcastle are improving all of the time, but Benitez needs more than that, and the role at Spain will help showcase his managerial talents at the very top.