Rafa Benitez accuses Newcastle United hierarchy of not sharing the same "vision" for the club.

The Spaniard released a statement following his separation from the Magpies.

Rafael Benitez and Newcastle United parted ways after the Spaniard reached the end of his contract with the club which reached its conclusion on June 30. The 59-year-old refused to sign an extension with the Premier League outfit over disagreement with the club owner, Mike Ashley and differences in the “vision” for the club.

Since his departure, the former Real Madrid tactician has finally broken his silence and wrote an open letter to the supporters of Newcastle United in order to present his stance on the whole situation. The statement cleared any doubts and confirmed that his differences with the hierarchy of the club regarding the vision for the club were chiefly the reasons behind his decision.

The gaffer expressed his gratitude towards the fans in a heartfelt message and further shared his best moments from his time at the club. He said, “Thank you for three fantastic, exciting and, at times, challenging years. What we have had here - your support, your affection and your passion - has been unbelievable for me. St James' Park has been always special, the 5-1 win against Tottenham, 15-05-2016, was so emotional that since that day I have always felt as though I belonged at Newcastle and I thank you for making me feel so welcome and at home.”

The tactician further went on to heap praise on the players and the supporting staff. Speaking in that context, he added that, “Thank you to everyone at the club who has helped the team and of course to the fine players who grew and fought with us and to the staff. From winning the Championship, to our two seasons in the Premier League, fans, staff and players have all been United.”

He concluded his statement by clearing the air over what caused him to not sign an extension at the club by saying that, “I wanted to stay, but I didn't just wait to sign an extended contract, I wanted to be part of a project. Unfortunately, it became increasingly clear to me that those at the top of the club did not share the same vision.”

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“I'm very sad about that, but I do not regret for one moment my decision to come to Tyneside and I'm very proud about what we achieved together. I will always have you in my heart. Best of luck for the future.” he ended.

Rafa Benitez did an exceptional job at Newcastle United with the lack of funds at his disposal and his departure has only further tarnished Mike Ashley’s reputation among the fanbase. Sky Sports have further reported that Rafa Benitez has now agreed to become the manager of the Chinese Super League side, Dalian Yifang.