Mark Hughes sacked as Stoke City manager

London, Jan 7: Mark Hughes has been fired as manager of English Premier League side Stoke City, just hours after the club's shock defeat 1-2 to League Two Coventry City in their FA Cup third-round match.

The club said in a statement on Saturday: "Stoke city can confirm that the contract of manager Mark Hughes has been terminated with immediate effect."

Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying: "We would like to thank Mark for all he has achieved for the club over the last four and a half years, notably in guiding us to three successive ninth place finishes in the Premier League."

Stoke City, who have suffered five defeats in seven Premier League games and are third bottom on the table, will "appoint a new manager as soon as possible".

Hughes, 54, a former Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and QPR boss, succeeded Tony Pulis at Stoke in May 2013 and was the fourth longest-serving manager at a Premier League club.