Mark Hughes has been sacked as manager of Stoke City, just hours after the club’s FA Cup third-round exit at the hands of League Two side Coventry City.
A run of five defeats in seven Premier League games also contributed to Hughes’ departure and he leaves with the club in the relegation zone.
Hughes, 54, had been in charge of the Potters for four and a half years.
Stoke, who play Manchester United on 15 January, say they will “look to appoint a new manager as soon as possible”.
A section of Stoke fans called for him to leave and held up banners throughout the 2-1 defeat at the Ricoh Arena.
Hughes, a former Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and QPR boss, succeeded Tony Pulis at Stoke in May 2013.
He guided the club to three straight ninth-placed finishes, dropping to 13th last season.