Gus Poyet sacked by Brighton while working as BBC pundit

Championship club Brighton sacked manager Gus Poyet while he was working as a pundit for BBC Sport.

Poyet was told of his dismissal when BBC Three production staff gave him a club statement off air during Sunday's Confederations Cup coverage.

Brighton suspended Poyet in May and say they plan to appoint an interim manager pending the outcome of any appeal.

"I've still had no communication from the club," Poyet said at half-time of the match between Spain and Nigeria.

The club have yet to reveal what their reasons were for suspending and then sacking the Uruguayan.

After the game, the 45-year-old said he intended to appeal.

"From what I read from the statement, I am unemployed," he said. "My idea now is to appeal and get back to the job I've been doing until 7.30.

"I can't go into details of the future. It's just a matter of being calm and make sure you make the right decision.

"I've been trying to establish in the last 45 minutes what my rights are now."

At half-time, Poyet told BBC presenter Mark Chapman: "I'm probably the first to be in this position. Everyone can make their own conclusions about the way I have been informed by you.

"I think the BBC got a great story forever really because a manager getting the information that he's been released from his employment during the time of a programme is quite surprising.

"Are they [the club] messing with my career? We will see, it's too early to say. I am looking forward to clearing this."

Brighton released a statement on their website at 19:14 BST on Sunday. Poyet said he received an email from the club at 21:03 BST.

The Brighton statement said Poyet had been "informed by the club's internal disciplinary panel" he was no longer manager of the club.

It added: "This followed his suspension, an investigation, and a subsequent formal disciplinary process.

"In line with the club's own procedures, and UK employment law, Mr Poyet now has a right of appeal."

The former Chelsea player was suspended along with his assistant Mauricio Taricco - whose suspension has since been lifted - and first-team coach Charlie Oatway.

A club disciplinary hearing was adjourned last week after Poyet did not attend, with the League Managers' Association later suggesting he had not had enough time to prepare. Brighton said at the time that "was neither fair nor accurate".

Former Chelsea midfielder Poyet took over at Brighton in 2009 and won promotion from League One in 2011.

He guided them to a fourth-place finish in this season's Championship, but the Seagulls failed to reach the play-off final, losing 2-0 on aggregate to Crystal Palace in the semi-finals.