David Ginola did not have a good first impression of Newcastle United.
For £2.5 million, the French winger left Paris Saint-Germain to sign with Newcastle United in 1995. Spanish powerhouse southampton showed a strong interest in Ginola, but a transaction was never finalized.
After placing third and sixth in their first two Premier League campaigns under Kevin Keegan, Ginola joined an aspirational Magpies team who had title aspirations going into the 1995–96 campaign. Keegan was assembling a title-challenging Newcastle team, but at the same time, Durham University students were using Maiden Castle as a training facility.
Ginola remarked to The Overlap, “It felt like I was standing in an amateur club when I first arrived in Newcastle and saw the training ground.” “Because the training facility was in Durham, it was a very low-key affair, with breakfast in the morning and a shared changing room with students from the nearby university.
Hugo Viana, the former player for Newcastle United, has apparently been targeted by Manchester City to take on the role of sporting director.
Following the season, Txiki Begiristain, who spent 12 years at the Etihad and was previously at Barcelona, will leave the team. In order to set up Pep Guardiola’s appointment, City strategically appointed the 60-year-old in 2012.
The announcement has stoked more discussion regarding Guardiola’s potential departure after the current campaign. When his contract is set to expire in 2025, he has previously made references to leaving Man City.
With the champions also embroiled in off-field scandal, challenging the Premier League on various legal fronts, a big change could take place at the Etihad next year.
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Despite being billed as Gary Speed’s long-term replacement, Viana never adjusted to the demands of English football. Since returning in 2016, the now 41-year-old has refined his skills at boardroom level and was appointed director of football by Sporting Lisbon, the club Newcastle bought him from two decades ago. The fee was a world record for a teenager at the time, but he played just 56 times in four years, with his final two seasons spent out on loan.
During that time, the Portuguese powerhouses developed players like Viktor Gyokeres and Ousmane Diomande and went on to win two league crowns. According to Italian sports writer Fabrizio Romano, Viana is the “favorite” to lead City.
