Newcastle United news: Pundit cites Thomas Tuchel after Howe update via BBC
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe should not be questioned on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, according to Danny Mills.
The ex-Premier League defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, said Howe, 44, is a football manager and “not a professor of politics” or “United Nations ambassador.”
As quoted by the BBC (16 March), the Magpies boss refused to give an opinion when questioned over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
He said he “doesn’t feel qualified” to given an opinion on the subject and believes he would be getting “into dangerous ground” if he did.
In October, Newcastle United were taken over by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium.
When asked for his view on Howe’s stance, Mills told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley: “Is he qualified?
“He is there to manage the football club.
“His knowledge of the human rights issues in terms of the detail… Does he know what happened, when and by who? It is very, very difficult and sensitive information to get your head around. You can read up on it time after time and still not understand it all. There are so many different facets and nuances within that.
“There are issues there but we don’t know exactly what they are. Howe’s job is to manage and coach the football team. That is a 24/7 job. Do we now expect him to speak for Saudi Arabia? What can he say? His knowledge will be no greater than all of the rest of us.
“It is similar to Roman Abramovich and Thomas Tuchel. These are football people who are paid to manage football teams. Suddenly we expect them to be United Nations ambassadors. That is not who they are. They are not professors of politics.”
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