Rafa Benitez says he's had more meeting in a few weeks at Dalian Yifang than three years at Newcastle.

Benitez left the Magpies at the end of June when his contract expired and linked up immediately with the Chinese Super League outfit, taking charge of his first game this week.

"Since the moment of our arrival we have really been touched by the kindness and respect that we have been shown," the Spaniard wrote in a blog post on his personal website.

"As we all know from experience, in football, just as in everyday life, when people show you respect and affection and do everything they can to make things easier for you, life is much happier, even when you face difficult moments.

"I must say that I have had more meetings with the chairman, the president and the general manager this week than I had in three years at Newcastle.

"They haven't just been work meetings, rather signs of respect in which we have been able to appreciate the differences and similarities in our cultures."