Newcastle U FC
4 in a row success for Newcastle
Written 6 June 2021, 15:28
After the club’s Youth Team won the Italian Youth Cup, the Coppa Italia, for a remarkable 4th year in a row, The Athlete’s Georgia Caulkina caught up with Newcastle U FC’s Manager Rolf Bergström to discuss this achievement and how the team is doing.
GC: 4 in a row! What a run Rolf, what is your reaction to this extraordinary success?
RB: Thank you, yes, it has been an especially successful few seasons for us and I am just so proud of the lads and what they have achieved, 4 cups in a row is quite something, and also a nice gift to say goodbye to our dual strikers https://www.virtualmanager.com/players/14319278-zitek-kisa Kisa and Ody https://www.virtualmanager.com/players/14336827-odysseus-deligiannis who will be turning 24 these next weeks and joining the senior team. They have both been immense in this cup run (ed. 22 successive wins in the competition), with Kisa netting 10 and Ody 7 in this year’s competition.
GC: With those players promoted to the senior squad, can you still make it 5 in a row?
RB: That would be amazing Georgia, for the club and the fans, but I don’t think so. Although we have some 18 year old talents joining the first team next weak to replace Ody and Kisa, they are still learning the game and we will be up against some very strong teams like our old rivals at https://www.virtualmanager.com/squads/1234842 Fight Club. Of course, we will give it a go, but in any case 4, is still something very special.
GC: Since we last spoke Rolf, your team has moved from the Portugal league to Scotland and now onto Italy, Can you explain to our readers what the plan has been and if you are happy with how things have gone?
RB: It’s David (‘Two Chins’ Maguire) our owner that makes these plans and I know he, unlike many owners, is very happy to speak to the media and to the fans. I wish other owners were as close to their club’s supporters, that Ashley guy over the road is an utter disgrace to the game. Shameful. Sorry… what was I saying? Oh yes, the league changes. We had been in the Portugal league for many years prior to first the establishment of the Youth Cup in May 2020 then the Youth League in July 2020. As you know, we had a lot of success, winning the Portugal Youth Cup 7 times, the Portugal Youth League 8 times and the seniors did well too, winning the cup twice and finishing league runners up twice. David thought, and I agreed, that we needed a new challenge, so in November 2020 we joined the Scottish League.
We enjoyed our time in Scotland, we played there for around 21 seasons till April 2021, and enjoyed some lovely successes too, winning the Youth League 7 times, the Youth Cup 8 times, finishing runner’s up in the senior league and Cup finalists twice. Our dream of winning our first senior league title since our successes in Brazil in 2017 eluded us though, and we really wanted to achieve this senior league title again, and David and I thought Italy could be the place to do it. And we got so close too, on our very first season in Seria A, so 5 seasons ago, we finished 2nd behind an always very strong Real Madrid team https://www.virtualmanager.com/squads/564367, who have won the league every year for the last 6 seasons and all respect and congratulations to them and their coach Galacticos. Winning a senior league is so hard but the consolation of doing well in the Youth leagues and cups is good, and so this year where we achieved the league and cup double is just huge for us, we are all very happy.
GC: So as you say, it's now 4 years since your club’s last senior league title. What chances do you think you have of getting another anytime soon?
RB: Of course this is the dream we are working to but it is so hard, there are so many very strong teams and we cannot all be league winners. We have a good group of 25-29 year old players in the team now who are relishing the chance to mature into top quality (90+) players and I think and hope that 7 or 8 of them should do this at around the same time, with their talent and the great coaches we have here at the club. How high can we get? Well, I’d say in about 8-12 season’s time so in late summer 2021 we could be in the top 3 again and with some luck maybe push for the title, not easy, but we have hope at this club, and an owner committed to the team’s success, so fingers’ crossed!
GC: Thank you Rolf and good luck this season coming.
RB: Thank you.
Newcastle U FC Press Office. 6 June, 2021
2 The Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1, UK
<end of bulletin #14>
GC: 4 in a row! What a run Rolf, what is your reaction to this extraordinary success?
RB: Thank you, yes, it has been an especially successful few seasons for us and I am just so proud of the lads and what they have achieved, 4 cups in a row is quite something, and also a nice gift to say goodbye to our dual strikers https://www.virtualmanager.com/players/14319278-zitek-kisa Kisa and Ody https://www.virtualmanager.com/players/14336827-odysseus-deligiannis who will be turning 24 these next weeks and joining the senior team. They have both been immense in this cup run (ed. 22 successive wins in the competition), with Kisa netting 10 and Ody 7 in this year’s competition.
GC: With those players promoted to the senior squad, can you still make it 5 in a row?
RB: That would be amazing Georgia, for the club and the fans, but I don’t think so. Although we have some 18 year old talents joining the first team next weak to replace Ody and Kisa, they are still learning the game and we will be up against some very strong teams like our old rivals at https://www.virtualmanager.com/squads/1234842 Fight Club. Of course, we will give it a go, but in any case 4, is still something very special.
GC: Since we last spoke Rolf, your team has moved from the Portugal league to Scotland and now onto Italy, Can you explain to our readers what the plan has been and if you are happy with how things have gone?
RB: It’s David (‘Two Chins’ Maguire) our owner that makes these plans and I know he, unlike many owners, is very happy to speak to the media and to the fans. I wish other owners were as close to their club’s supporters, that Ashley guy over the road is an utter disgrace to the game. Shameful. Sorry… what was I saying? Oh yes, the league changes. We had been in the Portugal league for many years prior to first the establishment of the Youth Cup in May 2020 then the Youth League in July 2020. As you know, we had a lot of success, winning the Portugal Youth Cup 7 times, the Portugal Youth League 8 times and the seniors did well too, winning the cup twice and finishing league runners up twice. David thought, and I agreed, that we needed a new challenge, so in November 2020 we joined the Scottish League.
We enjoyed our time in Scotland, we played there for around 21 seasons till April 2021, and enjoyed some lovely successes too, winning the Youth League 7 times, the Youth Cup 8 times, finishing runner’s up in the senior league and Cup finalists twice. Our dream of winning our first senior league title since our successes in Brazil in 2017 eluded us though, and we really wanted to achieve this senior league title again, and David and I thought Italy could be the place to do it. And we got so close too, on our very first season in Seria A, so 5 seasons ago, we finished 2nd behind an always very strong Real Madrid team https://www.virtualmanager.com/squads/564367, who have won the league every year for the last 6 seasons and all respect and congratulations to them and their coach Galacticos. Winning a senior league is so hard but the consolation of doing well in the Youth leagues and cups is good, and so this year where we achieved the league and cup double is just huge for us, we are all very happy.
GC: So as you say, it's now 4 years since your club’s last senior league title. What chances do you think you have of getting another anytime soon?
RB: Of course this is the dream we are working to but it is so hard, there are so many very strong teams and we cannot all be league winners. We have a good group of 25-29 year old players in the team now who are relishing the chance to mature into top quality (90+) players and I think and hope that 7 or 8 of them should do this at around the same time, with their talent and the great coaches we have here at the club. How high can we get? Well, I’d say in about 8-12 season’s time so in late summer 2021 we could be in the top 3 again and with some luck maybe push for the title, not easy, but we have hope at this club, and an owner committed to the team’s success, so fingers’ crossed!
GC: Thank you Rolf and good luck this season coming.
RB: Thank you.
Newcastle U FC Press Office. 6 June, 2021
2 The Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1, UK
<end of bulletin #14>
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