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Benitez On Backroom Additions
Written by Newcastle Utd
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has spoken about the additions he made to his backroom staff in the close season
By Tom Easterby - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has spoken of some of the new additions he's made to his backroom staff in the close season.
Benitez added Matz Sels, Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie to his playing squad this week, but behind the scenes, the Spaniard has also been overseeing changes to both the coaching and medical departments.
Cristian Fernandez Martinez has joined the Club as rehabilitation fitness coach after a spell with Hull City, while Daniel Marti - who has acted in a consultancy role for West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur - has also checked in as a physiotherapist.
"We've increased the number of people in the medical department. We have a fitness coach for the rehabilitation (Fernandez Martinez) to try and make sure that the players come from the physios to the fitness coach to the training ground fine. We have this fitness coach," Benitez told nufcTV.
Meanwhile, Mikel Antia has arrived as first team coach, following the departure of former Juventus midfielder Fabbio Pecchia to take up the manager's job at Hellas Verona.
"Fabbio Pecchia has left because he had an offer from Hellas Verona, and I'm really pleased for him because obviously he will be number one there, and it's his country," said Benitez.
"We signed Mikel Antia, who was my former player at Real Madrid. He was in Aspire for four years, he has experience in coaching the coaches and training the players, and also he's played in Spain. He's a very good professional."
You can watch the full FREE nufcTV interview with Rafa Benitez here