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Michael Laudrup was sacked by Swansea after enraging the club by taking a trip to Paris.

MirrorSport can reveal chairman Huw Jenkins’ patience snapped when the Swans' manager gave his players two days off this week, despite them losing a ­relegation scrap at West Ham on Saturday.

The Dane headed to France at the height of a club crisis and returned on Tuesday to face the wrath of Jenkins - who decided to end his 18-month reign.

Laudrup will get a £4.5million pay-off, with Swansea acting now rather than wait and risk being sucked further into a relegation scrap.

Club captain Garry Monk, whose imminent appointment to the coaching staff is believed to have annoyed Laudrup, has taken temporary charge alongside coach and club legend Alan Curtis.

Their first game will be a massive relegation six-pointer South Wales derby against arch-rivals Cardiff at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday evening.

Everton No.2 Graeme Jones, who worked at the Swans under then-manager Roberto Martinez, is hotly tipped to replace Laudrup having previously turned down the job three times. Brighton boss Oscar Garcia is also on the shortlist.

We revealed last month how Swansea had already decided to axe Laudrup at the end of the season.

But, after a series of crisis meetings on Tuesday, Jenkins said: “It’s a decision we’ve taken reluctantly, but one made in the best interests of Swansea City football club and our supporters.”

Who will replace the Great Dane? Click here for the top ten contenders

We can reveal Laudrup's departure was met with a huge sigh of relief within the dressing room.

Although the Dane’s 18-month reign saw Swansea win the Capital One Cup, reach the knockout stages of a European competition and enjoy another impressive season in the Premier League, success on the pitch disguised complete chaos off it.

There was a lack of discipline, dressing room bust-ups, cliques and Laudrup’s relationship with chairman Huw Jenkins had long since broken down when the axe fell on Tuesday evening.

(Image: Getty)

Even last week, Jenkins was openly telling players and agents who they were targeting in the transfer window that they were signing for Swansea City and not for Michael Laudrup - because he was going.

The cliques at the training ground had become so bad that a rule had to be introduced that only three Spanish players were allowed to sit at each table when the squad had lunch.

The players complained Laudrup was aloof, not interested in training and even refused to take sessions when it was raining.

When they went to Dubai for a training camp, the only rules enforced were that the players had to be on the bus for 11am and back on it by 1pm.

Much of the training camp was spent drinking. The players wanted discipline - and did not get it.

And that was typical of Laudrup’s reign.

We can reveal there several player delegations went to Jenkins to complain about Laudrup’s lack of training and discipline.

The fact that the 49-year-old saw fit to go to Paris and give the players two days off after Saturday's bad defeat at Upton Park was, in Jenkins’ eyes, typical of his attitude to the job.

Laudrup did take training on Tuesday, but a series of meetings took place in the afternoon as Jenkins’ decision to overhaul the backroom staff - with defender Monk joining the set-up - putting their relationship under further strain.

Last month, Monk was involved in a training ground bust-up with Swansea's Spanish defender Chico Flores that led to police being called.

The players had complained that they were motivating themselves and therefore Jenkins decided he could dispense with Laudrup - even though it would cost around £4.5m to sack him.

Laudrup negotiated himself a big new contract after leading the club to Capital One Cup triumph at Wembley last year, which caused big clubs across Europe to cast admiring glances at the former Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Mallorca boss.

But even before that there were rumblings of discontent and within weeks Laudrup’s relationship with Jenkins - and particularly the choice of agents to do deals - was under strain.

They were hoping to hold on until the end of the season, but Jenkins feared that the defeat at West Ham did not spark a big enough reaction from Laudrup and he decided to act.

(Image: Scott Heavey)

Jenkins said: “It is the first time in nearly 10 years that the club has parted with a manager in this way, but we had to remove the constant uncertainty surrounding the club and Michael’s long-term future with us.

“I had a meeting with Michael today in a final attempt to support him and establish a way to improve the work of the backroom team to secure the results we need over the final 14 Premier League games.

“However, after thinking long and hard about the best way forward, I felt it was unlikely we would achieve a stable environment at the club to allow us to get back to basics and produce the performance levels that have served Swansea City so well over the last few years.

“Now we need to put that uncertainty behind us and move forward as a united football club on all fronts, while placing on record our gratitude to Michael for the work he has done over the last 18 months and wish him well for the future.

“I hope all our supporters can fully understand how difficult this period has been for us and I would urge everyone connected to the football club to get behind Garry Monk, the staff and players.’’