Brighton and Hove Albion announced on Monday that they have sacked manager Chris Hughton after a four-and-a-half year spell at the Amex.

It can be recalled that the 60-year-old helped them secure promotion from the Championship to the Premier League in the 2016/17 football season.

Brighton finished 15th last season but escaped relegation by a whisker in the just concluded season, winning just 2 games in their last 18 matches in 2019, and finishing 17th with 36 points, 2 points off the relegation places.

They ended the season with a 4:1 loss to eventual Premier League Champions Manchester City at the Amex on Sunday. The likes of Paul Trollope, who is Hughton’s assistant, and first-team coach Paul Nevin also followed him out the door as their contracts were terminated.

The Chairman of the club Tony Bloom said: “Chris has done an excellent job over the past four-and-a-half years. First stabilising our club, reaching the play-offs in his first full season, securing our first-ever promotion to the Premier League, and retaining our status in two successive seasons.

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“Undoubtedly, this has been one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make as chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion, but ultimately one I have made due to how we struggled in the second half of the season.

“Our run of 3 wins from 23 Premier League matches put our status at significant risk. It is with that in mind, and the performances during that period, that I now feel it’s the right time for a change.

“Chris will always be very fondly remembered by Albion staff and fans as one of our club’s finest and most-respected managers.

“I would like to wish Chris, Paul and Paul – who have all worked extremely hard throughout their time here – every success for the future, and thank them on behalf of everyone at the club.

“They will always be welcome at the Amex, and will be remembered here with great affection.”

The club have confirmed that the process to find Hughton’s successor is already under way.