Inside The Rafalution

by Mark Douglas

Newcastle United was a club on its knees when Rafa Benitez arrived in March 2016 – and changed everything. Inside the Rafalution is the story of a football club that had lost touch with its community and sense of purpose – and how one man was able to inspire a city to fall in love with its team again. It looks at how Benitez changed everything – from the lighting in the canteen to the team’s losing mentality, bringing you right to the heart of why his burning, obsessional drive to find solutions makes him the perfect fit for one of English football’s most bewildering clubs.

Benitez signed 12 players in the summer of 2016 and sold six decades of experience. He overhauled the way the club operated and inspired a staff. This is a story of how to manage – not just the corners, the free-kicks and team, but an organisation that had been shelled out by years of frustration and underachievement.

Mark Douglas is Newcastle United Editor for the Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun.

256 pages, Paperback

Published June 15, 2017

Reviews

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book for those interested in the changes which happened within Newcastle United Football Club after the appointment of Rafa Benitez as their manager. Benitez a vastly experienced figure entered a club in turmoil and this book takes you through his process of transforming and uniting a fractured entity into a successful club during their 2016-17 Championship season campaign. A must for any Newcastle United supporter and for those who wish to have some insight on the many interesting angles of how varying aspects of life at a club will influence the performances on the field.

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant insight to the efforts behind invigorating a sleeping giant of a football club like Newcastle. even though I am not a big Rafa Benitez fan, the work done by him at Newcastle Is one that deserves plaudits. This book captures the struggles of a manager at a football club on the brink.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of taking a team back from the brink, and a stark reminder of how things could be very different.