Former Magpie Gutierrez takes to Twitter after winning discrimination case

Jonas Gutierrez has taken to social media after he won his discrimination case against Newcastle following mistreatment when battling cancer.
Former Newcastle player Jonas GutierrezFormer Newcastle player Jonas Gutierrez
Former Newcastle player Jonas Gutierrez

The 32-year-old took his case to a tribunal after he claimed the Premier League club, managed by Alan Pardew at the time, decided not to play him after he had beaten cancer in order to avoid having to give him a new contract.

And when he took to Twitter soon after the case, he said: “I am a geordie. Thanks Newcastle fans for your support. I love the city. I hope WE stay up. Come on the Toon. Once a geordie always a geordie.”

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He then posted another message, praising the Newcastle fans, saying: “How a club is made is [through] the fans. Not the players [and] not the board. Always in my heart geordie nation. I love you.”

Gutierrez insisted he had been left out of Newcastle’s matchday squads until it was not possible for him to trigger a clause that automatically allowed him a new one-year deal.

Now at Deportivo La Coruna, the midfielder believed the reason for leaving him out was purely down to the fact the club feared he would never be able to reproduce his best form again following surgery.

He said: “During my chemotherapy treatment, neither the manager, Alan Pardew, nor any club directors contacted me to see how I was feeling or to congratulate me on my recovery.

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“This was incredibly disappointing after everything I had done for the club.”

When Pardew gave evidence, he was adamant his decision to leave Gutierrez out of the matchday squads was purely for football reasons.

The current Crystal Palace manager said: “My particular concern with Jonas was related to the low number of goals he scored.

“He had scored only three goals in the 2010-11 season which, for an attacking midfielder, was well below what I would have expected.”

The tribunal found Gutierrez in favour of two of the four claims, but dismissed a claim of unfavourable treatment and another of harassment related to disability.