Former Premier League manager Gus Poyet was left visibly shocked when he learned of his dismissal from Brighton & Hove Albion while appearing live on television. The incident occurred during coverage of the Confederations Cup on the BBC, just weeks after Poyet’s final match in charge of the club.
Poyet, who began his managerial career with Brighton in 2009, had led the team to a notable fourth-place finish in the 2012/13 season of the Championship, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion by just four points. Despite the team’s play-off semi-final loss to arch-rivals Crystal Palace, Poyet was eager to continue his pursuit of promotion. Unfortunately, the club’s board had different plans, a message that Poyet claims was not communicated to him prior to his termination.
The unexpected news broke when presenter Mark Chapman informed Poyet of his sacking during a pre-match analysis segment. Recalling the moment, Poyet described the surreal experience, stating, “I switched my phone off at 7:20 p.m. with no indication that I was going to be sacked. When the match started at 8 p.m., Chapman said, ‘You know you’ve just been sacked?'”
Despite being off-air at the time, Poyet confirmed that the news was already posted on Brighton’s official website. Following this revelation, he requested to leave the studio to contact his lawyer for further clarification on the situation. The half-time discussion among Poyet, fellow pundit Efan Ekoku, and Chapman primarily focused on his unexpected dismissal rather than the match they were covering. Poyet humorously noted, “The BBC thought it was perfect!”
Following his departure from Brighton, Poyet did not remain out of management for long. He was appointed as manager of Sunderland in October 2013, taking over a struggling team that was languishing in the relegation zone. Under his guidance, Sunderland climbed from 20th to 14th place in the Premier League and reached the final of the 2014 League Cup, where they faced Manchester City.
However, Poyet’s tenure at Sunderland ended after a disappointing performance, culminating in a heavy 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa, which left the team precariously positioned just above the relegation zone.
Since then, the 57-year-old has managed clubs across six different countries, including a stint with the Greek national team between 2022 and 2024. He is currently at the helm of K League team Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, continuing his journey in the world of football management.
