"I immediately contacted the club and told them not to pay me the money and to either give it to the non-playing staff at the club or donate it to Holland's health service to help in their efforts to beat COVID-19"
Sunday 26 April 2020 13:46, UK
Alan Pardew says he has not accepted a bonus payment from ADO Den Haag for avoiding relegation and has instead offered to donate it to the club's non-playing staff and the Dutch health service.
Reports had claimed that head coach Pardew was to receive a £100,000 bonus after the club's top-flight status was confirmed on Friday when the Dutch Eredivisie was cancelled.
Den Haag were seven points adrift of safety with eight games remaining when the season was ended prematurely.
Pardew says he is "extremely disappointed" with the "untrue and ill informed" reports surrounding the bonus and insists he has not received a payment for keeping the club up.
"When I signed for ADO there was a bonus clause in my contract for avoiding relegation, however, the figure is not the one being reported by the press," said Pardew, in a statement released on Sunday.
"These clauses are standard practice in the majority of managers' contracts around the world.
"It was my understanding that this clause would only be activated if we had finished the season and ADO had avoided relegation.
"However, on a technicality issue with regard to the way the Dutch season ended, I was informed ADO intended to pay the bonus.
"I immediately contacted the club and told them not to pay me the money and to either give it to the non-playing staff at the club or donate it to Holland's health service to help in their efforts to beat COVID-19.
"I hope that this clears up any misunderstandings caused by the press reports.
"The thoughts and prayers of myself and my family are with everyone around the world who has suffered or are suffering from this terrible virus."
