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LONDON, Jan. 6-- Mark Hughes has been fired as manager of English Premier League side Stoke City, just hours after the club's shock defeat 2-1 to League Two Coventry City in their FA Cup third-round match on Saturday. The club said in a statement, "Stoke city can confirm that the contract of manager Mark Hughes has been terminated with immediate effect. "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 places finishes in the Premier League, and we wish him every success for the future." 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. | 
