Fonseca overtaken as Newcastle enter ‘decisive’ talks with new first choice
A new favourite has emerged in the running to become the next manager of Newcastle United, according to reports.
Steve Bruce was recently dismissed by Newcastle’s wealthy new owners, who are now looking for his replacement. Graeme Jones has overseen one of the two games he will spend as their interim manager. A permanent replacement, therefore, should be on the horizon.
To date, the favourite has been thought to be Paulo Fonseca. After negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur collapsed over the summer, the former Roma boss could get another chance to move into the Premier League.
Fonseca reportedly impressed Amanda Staveley in an interview. Therefore, he has seemed likely to take over at St James’ Park.
However, there has now been a twist. According to Bild, Lucien Favre has jumped to the front of the queue to fill the vacancy.
Favre most recently managed Borussia Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. Over the summer, he was under consideration by Crystal Palace, but he had a change of heart and decided not to take the job.
Like Fonseca, though, that hasn’t necessarily closed the door to him taking a different Premier League job.
Newcastle are now said to be in talks with Favre, which have reached a “decisive” stage. Fonseca has, for now, been relegated to “second choice”.
Bild expect the new manager to be presented by the end of the week. They are confident it could be Favre.
Favre ready for new challenge
The Swiss coach, 63, has enjoyed a lengthy career in football. During his playing days, he was capped 24 times by his national team.
Since 1993, he has been working from the other side of the touchline. His first job in management was with Echallens, whom he led to promotion at the first time of asking. He has since gone on to represent the likes of FC Zurich, Hertha Berlin and Nice.
His longest tenure in a job was the four years he spent in charge of Borussia Monchengladbach between February 2011 and September 2015.
Favre has won trophies with Servette (the 2000-01 Swiss Cup), Zurich (back-to-back Swiss league titles in 2006 and 2007 after cup success in 2005) and Dortmund (the 2019 DFL-Supercup).
The latter job was his most successful in terms of the points per game he accumulated. At the time of his exit, he was also the Dortmund coach with the best ever point average. He won 68 of his 110 matches in charge, but it all came to an end when he lost 5-1 to Stuttgart in December 2020.
Favre has been waiting for the right opportunity since and it seems Newcastle may provide him with the next platform. It would be his first job in the Premier League and the fourth different country he has managed in after Switzerland, Germany and France.
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