Alan Pardew

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced on Friday that the season had been ended because of coronavirus lockdown measures, with no champions crowned, no teams promoted and none relegated.

Den Haag were second-bottom of the table, the same position they were in when Pardew took over as manager last December.

It was reported that Pardew was set to earn £100,000 if the club avoided relegation, but the former Newcastle United boss set the record straight on Sunday. 

He said in a statement: "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.

"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."

Pardew initially joined the Bulgarian club in an advisory capacity in 2020 but moved into the dugout after Stoycho Mladenov's resignation this April.

But the former Newcastle United boss has now left the club after four CSKA black players had bananas thrown at them by their own fans before a game against Botev Plovdiv last month, one week on from losing the Bulgarian cup final to fierce rivals Levski Sofia.

In a statement released on the club's website, Pardew said: "First, I want to thank all the real CSKA fans for their support and passion for the club.

"It was a privilege for me to be a part of and to serve this club. Unfortunately, my time here is over. 

"The events before and after the match with Botev were not acceptable for me, for my assistant Alex Dyer, or for our players. The reason no one gave an interview after the match was that we were all very outraged by the situation that had escalated.

"Our players decided to play only out of loyalty and to protect the club. The small group of organised racist fans who tried to sabotage this match is not what I want to lead and represent the team in front of. 

"This is definitely not the right path for the benefit of CSKA, because such a club deserves much more."

Pardew's assistant Dyer, the first black coach at the club, has also left his role.