 On 1 September 2007, Ayestarán announced his departure from "The Reds" after 11 years partnering Benítez.Benítez accused Ayestarán of "betrayal" as Ayestarán "contacted other clubs behind his back" while Ayestarán rejected the accusations, claiming instead that Benítez "forgot his principles".Ayestarán joined Real Sociedad as sporting director in 2008, but left after a few weeks due to conflicts with the club president.