Rafael Benitez has confirmed that he will leave Newcastle United at the end of his contract this week.
Benitez has been in negotiations with the club over an extension to a three-year stay defined largely by the Spaniard’s frustration at Newcastle’s transfer activity.
However, those talks have failed to produce a resolution and the 59 year old will depart when his contract expires on Sunday.
Benitez took over the club in 2016 with the club mired in a relegation battle. He lost three of his first four matches and, despite then overseeing an unbeaten six-game run to end the season, Newcastle dropped into the second tier.
However, the former Liverpool, Inter and Real Madrid boss stayed on and revitalised the club in the Championship. Newcastle won the title on the final day of the season and went on to finish 10th in the Premier League in the subsequent campaign.