Southampton boss Harry Redknapp has sensationally walked out on the club.
Saints chairman Rupert Lowe confirmed the news, revealing that Redknapp claimed the club had "let him down" and that he considered his employment as "being at an end".
It is now widely expected that the 58-year-old will return to former club Portsmouth, although his sudden exit from St Mary's comes as somewhat of a surprise.
Earlier Lowe had been reported as insisting that the former West Ham boss attended Southampton's game against Burnley on Saturday, and it may well have been this matter which finally brought the situation to breaking point.
In a statement released by Southampton, Lowe declared: "On Wednesday I was contacted by [Redknapp's agent] Dennis Roach, who told me that I was likely to receive a request from Portsmouth to allow them to speak to Harry about their managerial vacancy.
"It is not often that I am lost for words, but I was then. not only because this is the most extraordinary story in an extraordinary industry, but because I believed Harry to be here in the long term.
"On Thursday I spoke to Harry, who told me that he had been considering his future and that he believed Portsmouth to be his 'spiritual home'.
"Whilst I was at the Football League divisional meeting later that day, the club received a written request from Portsmouth asking for my consent to speak to Harry.
"I did not give that consent immediately as I wanted to be sure that he meant what he said.
"I spoke to Harry again on Friday and he confirmed what he had said to me and that he wanted my consent to speak to Portsmouth.
"I had several conversations with Peter Storrie and said that, as a precondition for my consent, I would like to be paid the unexpired portion of Harry's contract, which is the usual convention in these circumstances.
"I was promised an answer which, to date, has never come. I spoke to Harry again late on Friday night to agree arrangements for today's important game against Burnley.
"Harry said that it was now impossible for him to come back to the club and that, in his words, he had been let down. He told me that he regarded his employment with the club as being at an end and that we would deal with the necessary paperwork at the beginning of next week.
"I am sorry that Harry's stay at St Mary's has ended in this way and, on what I know, I would have to agree with Harry's assessment of what has happened. This situation is not of my, or Southampton's making.
"I find it extraordinary that officials of Portsmouth should have made some of the public statements that they did yesterday [Friday] about a Southampton employee. As far as I am concerned there has been a breach of courtesy and basic good manners.
"I wish him, Sandra and their family every good fortune in the future."
Assistant manager Dave Bassett has been placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs ahead of the clash with Burnley, while further comment from Lowe is expected after the match
© 2005 BSkyB
