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London - Crystal Palace broke their silence on Friday over the abrupt departure of manager Tony Pulis, confirming it had been by "mutual consent".
He left the club on Thursday after talks with chairman Simon Parish, prompted by disagreements over the Premier League club's transfer policy.
Palace announced in a statement on their website on Friday: "Crystal Palace Football Club can confirm that Tony Pulis has left the club by mutual consent with immediate effect.
"Keith Millen will be in temporary charge of the team for our opening Barclays Premier League game against Arsenal this Saturday.
"The club would like to thank Tony for his efforts with the club during last season and wish him all the best for the future."
Pulis was appointed manager in November and led Palace to survival and an impressive 11th place finish, an achievement that earned him the Premier League manager of the season award.
But he had grown frustrated by Palace's failure to push through deals for various players he targeted to strengthen the squad.
The 56-year-old's exit came less than 48 hours before Palace kick off their campaign with a daunting fixture at the Emirates Stadium.
He is believed to have wanted total control of Palace's recruitment policy, but Parish was reluctant to let the manager be in sole charge of player movement as he wanted to avoid putting the club's future at risk by over-spending.
Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon and ex-Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay are reported to be among the early frontrunners to replace Pulis.
