During the summer window Senegalese midfielder Henri Saivet signed for Saint-Étienne from Newcastle United on a season long loan.
The 25-year-old signed for the Magpies in January in a €6m deal from Bordeaux, but managed just 147 minutes of football.
Since his move back to France, the former Bordeaux midfielder has been speaking to France Football about his stay at Newcastle.
He said: “I had been recruited to play and I was not playing. It was hard. I had the impression of being paid to do nothing. It was horrible. You’re there, you’re useless.”
Asked about working under Rafael Benitez, Saivet only had good words for his Newcastle boss.
He added: “Benitez is a great coach. He makes a lot of tactics. A little too much at times, but he is a great coach. When he came in, the group was lost, not confident and there were only ten matches remaining.
“It was complicated for him. The leaders must have asked him to play the English. It’s like that there. They even said that the championship was for the English, not foreigners. Because they like to play every three days, they like to fight.”
Saivet is still owned by Newcastle United, but with comments claiming those in charge influence Benitez’s team selection, perhaps he’s not planning on a return.
