Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez will have to pay out of his own pocket if he leaves the club within the next 12 months, according to the Sun.
The outlet report that there is a clause in his Newcastle contract, a three-year deal signed in 2016, which states that Benitez must pay the club £6million if he quits St. James Park within his contract term.
It is understood that the ex-Real Madrid manager was fuming on hearing about the clause and has since sacked the agent that negotiated the deal on his behalf.
The report reveals that there was a £6million buyout clause in effect for other clubs that wanted to poach the Spaniard but this has now expired as he’s in the final 12 months of his deal, the manager is becoming increasingly unhappy at Newcastle due to the lack of investment of owner Mike Ashley.
OPINION
This is an astonishing clause and no wander Rafael Benitez has now sacked the agent that was behind this deal, he should have read the deal more closely before signing this ridiculous contract. All this time, Newcastle fans thought that Benitez was staying at St. James Park because he loved the club so much, but it turns out it could all be due to the fact that the Spaniard would have to pay to leave, so he’s stayed to make sure he doesn’t have foot the £6m bill. Essentially, if this report is correct, the former Liverpool manager is being forced to stay at the club until he is either sacked or his contract has run out. With the way he’s been treated by this club and Mike Ashley over his three-year tenure, no wonder Benitez wants to walk away at the end of his contract next year, at every single turn he has been undermined and taken advantage of. He’s a great manager who should never be treated in this way.