Tuesday 23 December 2014 09:38, UK
Sami Hyypia has left Brighton after the club accepted his resignation as manager.
Hyypia tendered his resignation on Monday afternoon and the club announced on their website that they had reluctantly accepted it.
Chairman Tony Bloom said, "Sami offered his resignation, and we reluctantly accepted earlier today.
"Sami has worked extremely hard since joining the club last summer. Despite some good performances, including most recently at Wolves, results haven't gone as well as we all had hoped and expected.
"Sami is an incredibly honourable man. He remains a hugely respected and very popular figure at our club. He has decided to step down for the benefit of the team and the club.
"We are all very disappointed, but we respect Sami’s decision and we all wish him well for the future."
Hyypia succeeded Oscar Garcia as manager on a three-year contract in June, but has left the club after just six months in charge.
The former Liverpool defender has struggled at the Amex Stadium with the club only winning three out of 22 Championship games since he took control.
The 41-year-old took charge of his final game on Saturday as he watched his side, who were down to 10 men, hold Wolves to a 1-1 draw at Molineux.
Hyypia's future has been uncertain for several weeks and former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has been linked with the job.
Sherwood, who was interviewed for the post by chairman Tony Bloom before Hyypia took over in the summer, was installed as Sky Bet’s early favourite for the newly vacated position.
However, the former Spurs boss has since drifted in Sky Bet's next Brighton manager betting, with former Stoke and Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis emerging as the new favourite.
Hyypia's assistant Nathan Jones will take charge of the team for the home game against Reading on Boxing Day.
