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

Mackay, 41, who had been Cardiff manager since June 2011, ended their 51-year absence from the top flight in May when they gained automatic promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship.

He was widely-respected for the job he did and hugely popular with fans who have protested in recent weeks against Tan, the equally unpopular Malaysian owner who inititally angered supporters by changing their kit from blue shirts to red before the start of last season.

In a statement issued after the sacking Tan said: “Far too much dirty linen has been exposed to the public gaze, but I stress, not by me.

“Indeed I have deliberately not responded to this, hoping the club can be judged by its football rather than personalised arguments about who said what to whom.

“I have, however, regretfully concluded that it is no longer fair to the club for this uncomfortable state of affairs to continue.”

Cardiff, relegated from the top flight in 1962, spent decades floundering in the third and fourth tiers of the league before beginning the slow climb back 12 years ago.

Under predecessor David Jones and then Mackay, Cardiff established themselves in the second tier and began to make solid progress with Forbes billionaire Tan adding his considerable financial muscle to the club when he took control in 2010.

With Tan and Mackay at the helm, Cardiff reached the League Cup final in 2012 when they lost to Liverpool on penalties and also reached the promotion play-off semi-finals, losing to West Ham United.

However, their long absence from the top flight ended last season when they were promoted as Championship winners.