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Hughes suffers City axe

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 21/12/2009
Football betting

Mark Hughes was sacked as Manchester City manager just hours after seeing his side move up to sixth place in the Premier League table following a victory over Sunderland.

City won a thrilling encounter 4-3 at Eastlands on Saturday, but Hughes gave what appeared to be a farewell wave to the home fans at full-time amid talk that a boardroom fall-out had led to his resignation earlier in the day.

Hughes had been in the City hot-seat since June 2008 but his future had been brought into doubt following a mixed series of results this season.

He spent heavily during the summer to bring players of the calibre of Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz to the club, but was rumoured to be under pressure at the beginning of the month following a run of eight successive league draws.

Former Internazionale coach Roberto Mancini, who was also strongly linked with any managerial vacancy in reports in Saturday's newspapers, will replace Hughes.

They claimed that City's ambitious Abu Dhabi-based board was beginning to lose patience with Hughes following their heavy investment in the club during their 18 months in charge.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is set to appeal against the red card shown to centre-half Michael Turner in the 4-3 defeat at Manchester City.

Turner was sent off late on in the game at Eastlands for the use of an elbow in a challenge with Gareth Barry, a decision by referee Andre Marriner which left Bruce upset.

He said: "I will appeal. I hope he can have a look at it and he can see it was a shuddering challenge between two of the most honest professionals you are going to get."

Aston Villa are sweating on the results of a scan on the groin injury sustained by striker Emile Heskey in the 1-0 victory at home to Stoke City.

Heskey lasted just 24 minutes of the game on Saturday, before limping off to be replaced by John Carew, who went on to score the only goal of the game.

Boss Martin O'Neill said: "Emile's groin is the problem although he was feeling a bit better after the game. We are hoping for the best, but we won't know until after the scan."

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Barcelona completed a grand slam of trophies by winning the final of the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Catalan giants saw off Estudiantes of Argentina 2-1 after extra-time in Abu Dhabi, adding a sixth trophy to a cabinet which already contains the La Liga crown, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup.

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