Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have taken sweeping action at one of their other sporting outfits, the Boston Red Sox, after parting company with team manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff. The baseball franchise has endured a wretched start to the new campaign, currently sitting on a 10-17 record (10 wins, 17 losses).
Despite a commanding 17-1 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, the call was made to relieve Cora of his duties, along with his backroom team. A former Red Sox player himself, Cora took charge in October 2017 and made an immediate impression, guiding the side to World Series glory in 2018.
He will be succeeded by Chad Tracy, the manager of Triple-A Worcester, on a temporary basis.
In an official statement, FSG chief and principal Liverpool owner John Henry said: "Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude.
"He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways.
"These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived.
"I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organisation.
"They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude."
Following Cora's dismissal, Saturday's 16-run triumph represents the largest winning margin in any Major League manager's final match in charge during the modern era of the sport.
It also marks the first occasion the Red Sox have dismissed a manager mid-season since Jimy Williams suffered the same fate back in August 2001.
FSG owns a portfolio of global sports franchises, amongst them Liverpool, the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The group also oversees teams competing in NASCAR racing and the TMRW Golf League (TGL).