Newcastle United hit by ‘big blow’ after Man United twist – Keith Wyness
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted it’s a “big blow” for Newcastle United to have missed out on a European place for next season.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – admitted losing out on a Europa Conference League spot will have come as a disappointment for the Tyneside club.
The Magpies thought they had potentially done enough to secure qualification for European football’s third-tier competition following their seventh-place finish in the Premier League.
But Manchester United’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City booked their place in the Europa League for next season, with Chelsea dropping down into the Europa Conference League spot.
Newcastle to focus on Premier League after European blow
Wyness believes Eddie Howe’s side can now focus on the Premier League and the cup competitions next season without having the distraction of European football.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It’s not that big of a blow financially.
“If you look at Aston Villa in the same competition last year, if they got to the final and won it, they might have made maybe £12.5million.
“It’s a big blow in terms of the kudos and still being able to say you’re a European club.
“I don’t think it’s the big financial blow that people might have thought, but it does take away a bit of the glitter and stardust.
“The other side of that is you’re not playing Thursday and Sunday, and you’re able to focus on the league and the cups to a much greater extent.
“The squad won’t be strained as much.
“Newcastle will have to look at that and think they have a clear focus for the season ahead with the league and the cups as their main goals.”
In other news, nine players set to leave St James’ Park this summer.
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