Xisco and Ignacio "Nacho" González will forever be blamed for their (indirect) involvement with the end of Magpies legend Kevin Keegan's "Third Coming" at Newcastle United. With the ex-player and former manager of the famous "Entertainers" side having returned to the Magpies helm following the dismissal of Sam Allardyce in January 2008, Newcastle fans were overjoyed at seeing "KK" takeover once more - but the relationship ended for a third occasion just eight months later, and this time extremely unceremoniously. With the disastrous appointment of Dennis Wise as Director of Football, owner Mike Ashley seemingly undermined his first-team manager Keegan - who claimed the arrivals of Nacho González on loan from Valencia and Xisco in a £5.7million permanent transfer from Deportivo la Coruna were made completely against his own wishes. While González made just two substitute appearances for the Magpies, Xisco hung around for five years, claiming his reported £60,000-a-week wages while out on loan at Racing Santander and back at Deportivo, contributing just one Premier League goal for Newcastle during his entire spell at the club - although that did come on his debut against Hull City. In October 2009, Keegan was eventually granted £2million in compensation for constructive dismissal - with the former Toon boss also arguing that James Milner was sold under his nose to Aston Villa for £12million. Keegans exit in 2008 was brought about by the presence of Xisco and González in his squad - and therefore they are both, perhaps unfairly, inextricably linked in supporters' eyes to KK leaving Newcastle United for (seemingly) the final time.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
