Benitez insists Newcastle can stay up, despite break clause in contract

Rafael Benitez insists he has taken charge of Newcastle for their long-term vision and is convinced the Magpies will avoid relegation.

The 55-year-old Spaniard who signed a three year deal on Friday after the sacking of Steve McClaren, held his first news conference on Saturday ahead of their Monday Night Football clash at league leaders Leicester City.

RAFA MEETS THE MEDIA: Newcastle United manager Rafa Benítez has been speaking with the media at St. James' Park. pic.twitter.com/V7VVvr9eze

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) March 12, 2016

According the former Liverpool manager: “The main thing is now we have 10 games, it doesn’t matter if I am the manager or the best manager or the worst manager or head coach or whatever, we have 10 important games and I have to concentrate on that. After these 10 games, I think that we will stay in the Premier League, after these ten games I will be the manager.

“My first conversation with Lee Charnley was just about everything but ‘what about the future?’ and he says listen, we are bringing you here to help us to go in the right direction so we know that we have done a lot of good things and not too good some times but with your experience we hope that we can go in the right direction and be proud of what we are trying to build here,”

The clause in his contract allows either him or the club, who are second-bottom and two points from safety with 10 games to go, to walk away if they crash out of the Premier League.

The club are second from bottom on the table having lost three successive games and five of the last six with the possibility of a return to the second tier for the first time since 2010.

The risk of falling out of the top flight has been magnified by a record-breaking three-year 5.1 billion pound ($7.33 billion) broadcast deal that offers Premier League clubs more television revenue than ever from next season.

Rafael Benitez managed Liverpool for six years, winning the Champions League in 2005.