Rafa Benitez says he could have walked out on Newcastle for big-money offers elsewhere and admits that staying is a risk to his reputation.
The Spaniard's contract expires in the summer and, given his increasingly downbeat mood in recent weeks, it looks unlikely he will sign a new deal.
Benitez has revealed that he has turned down lucrative approaches - thought to be from China - in the vain hope of being given the financial backing he craves from owner Mike Ashley.
'This club was an opportunity to be in the top 10,' he said when asked why he has not already quit.