On 24 June 2019, Newcastle announced that Benítez would step down as Manager upon the expiration of his contract, and he departed the club on 30 June 2019. Ashley criticised Benítez following his departure, stating that Benítez's demands made it impossible for him to remain as manager. However, in an interview with The Athletic in December 2020, Benítez stated he was left no choice but to leave the role due to disagreements with Ashley, describing him as "a businessman who I don’t believe really cares about his team."