Yakult Swallows manager Atsuya Furuta will step down at the end of the season, the Central League club said Tuesday.
Furuta, who is acting as a player-manager, was in talks with the team in the beginning of August to return to his post next season but negotiations have hit a snag.
Furuta, 42, blames himself for his team's lackluster season and apparently had made up his mind fairly quickly that enough was enough.
"I have to take responsibility (for our bad results)," Furuta said after any chance of a Climax Series playoff berth ended with an 8-7 loss to the Chunichi Dragons on Monday.