Blues had become impossible for Bruce
Steve Bruce believes his position as manager had become "impossible" at the point the now Sunderland manager left Birmingham in 2007.
The former Blues boss takes his Black Cats team to St Andrew's tomorrow still bitter about the manner in which his six-year spell at the club concluded.
The 48-year-old's departure to Wigan in the November came at a time when Birmingham were subject to a failed takeover bid from Carson Yeung. Now this weekend's match will be Yeung's first home fixture, after his purchase of the club earlier this month.
But Bruce believes the uncertainty surrounding Yeung's first takeover attempt what was ulitmately forced him to leave the club.
The manager said: "I was left in an impossible situation and nowhere to go. It was becoming a soap opera. I wanted to know what we are going to do for the future of the football club.
"We had just got back up and there was no mention of the side, or what we were going to do about the team and about players.
"It was just about the takeover of the club. I was left in a situation where promises were broken. To be fair David Sullivan, the then co-owner, wanted to give me a new contract, then all of a sudden it became an issue with the board.
"It was an ongoing saga. It became impossible to manage. In the end I had to go."
The split went sour when Wigan entered the fray to take their former manageron for a second time, with the Latics paying Blues £3million for his release. Bruce then moved to Sunderland last summer.
But the way the former defender left St Andrew's still cuts deep.
He said: "It became nasty in the end and left a bad taste for what eight years down the line, six as a coach and two as a player - was sad really. I think the supporters of Birmingham realised that I had to go for my own self and my own sanity."
Bruce is also still disappointed by comments at the time from former Blues co-owner Sullivan, who described the compensation payout as "good business."
But the Sunderland manager said: "After six years you'd think there would be a little bit of respect. Mr Sullivan's comments that 'We've got £3million and it's the best business the club has ever done' disappointed me.
"I didn't think I deserved that, but there you go it's what happened on the day and subsequently I've never spoken to them since."
