Albion chairman Tony Bloom is jetting back from Australia to deal with the club’s latest managerial crisis following the resignation of Sami Hyypia.

Bloom flew out of the country last week but has abruptly aborted his annual winter migration to take control of the relegation-haunted Seagulls’ search for their fourth boss in 18 months following consecutive top six finishes in the Championship under Gus Poyet and Oscar Garcia.

Hyypia’s assistant Nathan Jones will take charge of the team for Reading’s visit to the Amex on Boxing Day.

Albion go to Fulham three days later and a swift appointment is expected to give the new manager a chance to get players in during the January transfer window.

Hyypia quit yesterday afternoon, just 200 days into a three-year contract, with Albion third-bottom in the table after one win in 18 games. Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Wolves, played for most of the second half with ten men after Bruno was sent-off, left them four points adrift of safety.

The cumulative effects of disappointing results and growing dissatisfaction among supporters took its toll on Hyypia, draining the Finn’s energy and enthusiasm to fight on against increasingly unfavourable odds.

His wife and children sat and suffered with him as he came under heavy and vehement fire from fans, angered by the club’s decline this season, during the 1-0 defeat by fellow strugglers Millwall at the Amex 11 days ago.

Bloom and the Board continued to back him but Hyypia was in no mood to be talked out of a decision which had been brewing for some time once his mind was made up.

Bloom said: “Sami has worked extremely hard since joining the club last summer. Despite some good performances, including most recently at Wolves, results haven’t gone as well as we all had hoped and expected.

“Sami is an incredibly honourable man. He remains a hugely respected and very popular figure at our club. He has decided to step down for the benefit of the team and the club. We are all very disappointed, but we respect Sami’s decision and we all wish him well for the future.”

Hyypia will remain in Sussex over Christmas and take time out before considering in which direction his career heads next.

The former Liverpool legend, recruited by Bloom in June after he was sacked by German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen in April, said: “It’s been frustrating for us all and me more than anyone, but I think the support I have had from the Brighton fans has been tremendous. I am just very sorry I haven’t been able to give them the results I hoped I could.

“I said recently the fans are the soul of any club and that has never been more obvious than here. The fans have played a massive part in making the club what it is.

“I would also like to thank the club for the opportunity they gave me in the summer, particularly the chairman and chief executive (Paul Barber), who have continued to support me during the past few difficult weeks, and also the many staff who gave me their support during my time as manager.

“There are a lot of good people at the club and I genuinely wish them all the very best for the future. I am sorry things haven’t worked out as we all wanted.”