Cardiff sack manager Mackay after dispute with Tan

London: The protracted disagreement between Cardiff City chairman Vincent Tan and manager Malky Mackay reached its inevitable conclusion on Friday when the Scot was sacked seven months after winning promotion to the Premier League.

In a statement on their website (www.cardiffcity.co.uk), the Welsh club said: "The Board of Directors at Cardiff City have relieved Malky Mackay of his duties. A new first team manager will be appointed in due course." Mackay, 41, who had been Cardiff manager since June 2011, ended their 51-year absence from the top flight when they gained automatic promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship (second division) last season. He was hugely popular with fans who have protested in recent weeks against Tan, the equally unpopular owner of the club who inititally angered supporters by changing their kit from blue shirts to red before the start of last season. Mackay refused to resign as manager last weekend after being handed an ultimatum by Tan to either "resign or be sacked". "What I can tell you is I will not be resigning as manager of the football club," Mackay told the media in response. "I`m proud of what I have done and can look in the mirror." Mackay`s last game in charge was Thursday`s 3-0 home defeat to Southampton which left the club 16th in the 20-team division, one point and two places above the relegation zone.