Rafa refutes claim money was his main motivation

New Dalian Yifang head coach Rafa Benitez has hit back at claims from Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley that he only moved to China for the money, instead referring to the Chinese Super League side as his "best option".

Having won praise for establishing the Magpies in the Premier League on a meager budget, Benitez left St James' Park after his contract ended in June to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with Dalian reportedly worth around $14.5 million per year.

That prompted Ashley to accuse the Spaniard of being motivated primarily by money and "taking the soft option".