Lazaar blasts Benitez for ‘nightmare’

By Football Italia staff

Achraf Lazaar hits out at Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez for never playing him before his loan move to Benevento.

The Moroccan defender signed for the Magpies last summer as Benitez looked to mount a promotion push from the Championship.

However, the 25-year-old became frustrated with a lack of game time and has recently moved on loan to the newly-promoted Serie A side.

“My signing for Benevento was the end of a nightmare,” Lazaar told reporters.

“At Newcastle I never played and over a whole year Benitez never gave me an explanation.

“All he said was that I was a player more suited to Serie A or the Premier League, rather than the Championship.”

Lazaar added that he would have joined Fiorentina last summer, only for Benitez to intervene at the last moment.

“It’s a shame because he really wanted me. I was about to sign for Fiorentina when he called me and told me to go to him.

“They were just words, what a disappointment.”

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