'Rafa's pain' - Contrasting mood at Newcastle United four years on from political meltdown in Braga

On the field, on a sticky July night in north-east Portugal, the temperature was unbearable enough for Newcastle United players as they were battered 4-0 by Braga at the picturesque Municipal Stadium.

Off it, though, things were close to boiling point in 2018 for Rafa Benitez and Newcastle United as the popular boss was as transparent as he could be about the club's prospects in the transfer window. We didn't know it then, but this would be Rafa's final season as Toon manager but the warning signs were already there.

The venue was built in 2003, and was a venue for Euro 2004 in Portugal, and is also known as A Pedreira as it is cleverly carved into a mountain. Journalists and club staff alike had posed in front of the illustrious backdrop on the eve of the game on a relatively calm evening at the end of Newcastle's week long stay in the country.

But the mood in the bowels of the stadium after a tough week was nothing but ugly. Players had already told club officials they were effectively on strike when refusing to speak to both the travelling press and even the club website that night as they were involved in a dispute over a bonus.

Even one of the players who was usually a home banker in the mixed zone in South Korea international Ki Sung-yueng said: "Sorry guys" as he walked towards the bus. Yet when Benitez took his seat for the press conference that night, the full scale of the problems behind the scenes were laid bare and Rafa's pain was there for all to see.

When asked what the problems were that night, Benitez simply said: "Everything. The fans have to be concerned. We are concerned. They have to be concerned.

"Things are not going well off the pitch and you can see a reflection of that on the pitch. We will try