Former Premier League coach suspended after calling club owners a ‘disgrace’

Suspended Bordeaux manager Gus Poyet [COURTESY]

Gus Poyet will be sacked by Bordeaux after an astonishing blast in which he claimed one of his players was sold without his knowledge - just hours before last night's Europa League qualifier.

The French club reached the playoffs with a 2-1 win over FC Mariupol, but the former Brighton and Sunderland manager was furious that striker Gaetan Laborde had been sold to Montpellier.

He claimed he only knew when his squad assembled on the morning of the game and would threaten to quit post-match.

Gus claimed he only knew when his squad assembled on the morning of the game [COURTESY]

The ex-Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder said: “No I am not happy, it is one of my worst days at the club. What the club has done with Gaetan Laborde is a disgrace.

"I think we have to stop here. I told the club not to let him leave until we had bought someone else. They have not recruited and they let Laborde go. I arrived at 11.35am. Laborde was not here. He was in Montpellier. Nobody told me anything.

"I want to talk to my agent and I am going to make a decision. I don't know how this is going to finish. Do I have the desire to continue? No. They have done that against me, against the players and the supporters.

"I need an explanation from the club: from the owner or the president. They are going to explain to me tomorrow (Friday) and we will see if I carry on or not. Am I going to resign? I don't know.”

Since leaving Sunderland in 2015, Uruguayan Poyet has coached AEK Athens, Real Betis and Shanghai Shenhua before joining Bordeaux in January.

Bordeaux president Stephane Martin said last night: “I am not yet aware of what he has said. Everyone is free to do what they want. If he wants to resign, we will discuss it with him.

"But I have difficulties in understanding this. He was kept up to date with everything. I am quite surprised with such an impulsive reaction over the departure of a player which had been anticipated for some time. It is maybe a context.”

Nicolas de Tavernost, the owner of Bordeaux's parent company M6, added that Poyet was “not the boss of the club”.

Now Poyet has been temporarily suspended by the Ligue 1 side, who had lost their opening league game at home to Strasbourg last weekend.

Poyet spent 10 minutes at the training ground on Friday before being sent home, while L'Equipe claims a number of players refused to train, before eventually being persuaded to after talks with Martin.

Ligue 1 started last weekend but the French transfer window remains open till August 31.