Former Chelsea assistant Eddie Newton guides Trabzonspor to first trophy in a decade

Former Chelsea player and coach Eddie Newton knows a thing or two about winning, and certainly knows something about winning as an “interim” appointee. The former Chelsea standout who would go on to serve as assistant to interim head coach Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea won the 2012 Champions League (and 2012 FA Cup), has now won his first trophy as an (interim) head coach.

On Wednesday night, his Trabzonspor beat Alanyaspor 2-0 in the Turkish Cup final, with Crystal Palace loanee Alexander Sørloth scoring his side’s second in the dying seconds to seal the win, and Chelsea-linked goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır keeping the clean sheet.

It was Trabzonspor’s first major trophy since winning the same competition back in 2009-10.

Photo by Onur Coban/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Newton took over at Trabzonspor from Hüseyin Çimşir, himself a midseason replacement, just last week when the club legend and former assistant left the club by mutual consent after they fell short of what would’ve been their first Turkish league title since 1984. Newton had joined Çimşir as assistant halfway through the campaign, having began the season as part of Frank Lampard’s coaching staff at Chelsea.

Newton left with the expressed intent to try his luck in management after several coaching and assistant managerial appointments.

So far so good!

It’s been quite a dramatic season for Trabzonspor, which included two coaching changes, one Cup, a strong title challenge, and a European ban for next season following an FFP breach since they are not Manchester City. In the meantime, they had one former Chelsea player, Daniel Sturridge receive a ban from football for betting offenses, and another former Chelsea player legend, Mikel John Obi quit the club over their and the league’s slow and inadequate response to the developing COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s unclear if Newton will get to stay on as manager next season for his first ever full-time managerial appointment, but having survived all that drama, he’s surely a most battle-tested candidate already!

Congrats, Eddie! May it be the first of many!