Dalian Yifang. That doesn’t really roll off the tongue like the other prestigious positions Rafa Benitez has held, does it? Valencia, Liverpool, Napoli, Real Madrid, even Newcastle United has more allure than Dalian Yifang. The Chinese Super League is an unsuppressed monster with no undulating qualities, just rapid investment coupled with turnover peaks that refer to both fiscal and personnel targets.

Players are not the football bodies subject to this, managers are going to China making a solid gold wedge in the effort to galvanise football in the orient. Benitez went directly from the Premier League to the CSL. Newcastle fans can chew the fat on whether he quit or Mike Ashley failed to meet the Spaniard's contractual demands while pondering over who is to blame for the Spaniard's departure.

The former Newcastle boss since went on record saying he enjoyed living in Newcastle. He particularly loved his honorary Geordie status. Benitez detailed the club’s higher management didn’t share the same vision for Newcastle United going forward.

After the Magpies, where else is there to go? Rafa maintains his favoured positions are those where he can develop a team into something profound. The vacancies that allow for the Benitez-brand to materialise, thusly winning trophies before ultimately leaving a legacy. Just like everyone who’s ever played football manager with a national division side. Now he’s set his sights on China, for a new challenge.

Well… if you weren’t paying attention, he’s already started. Appointed mid-season in China, the club had played 16 of its 30 league games when Benitez was appointed. The Premier League legend had to hit the ground running with five league games in his first month in quick succession, plus a Chinese FA Cup tie to negotiate.