Fenway Sports Group have shown they are not afraid to sack a title-winning manager, dismissing Alex Cora and five coaching staff from the Boston Red Sox.
While FSG may be best known for owning Liverpool in the UK, their first chief sporting investment was in 2002 when they bought famous baseball team the Boston Red Sox.
The team’s coach has been Cora for the last nine years, but he has now been dismissed along with his backroom staff.
Despite a big win at the weekend over the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox have a record of 10 victories and 17 defeats this season.
Cora guided the Red Sox to their ninth World Series in 2018, just a year after joining, and is also a former player.
Of course, this isn’t news directly relating to Liverpool FC, but it is a potential point of note that FSG were willing to sack a title-winning manager.
This decision comes as Arne Slot faces major pressure on the other side of the Atlantic, due to poor results and performances this season.
While Liverpool’s Premier League success came far more recently than Cora’s World Series, the owners have reminded fans that they can be ruthless when required.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, April 27, 2025: Liverpool's owner John W. Henry after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Liverpool FC)
The principal owner of the Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox, John Henry, said:
“Alex Cora led this organisation 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.”
The latest on Arne Slot’s position
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, March 18, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot before the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg match between Liverpool FC and Galatasaray A.?. at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
With Liverpool’s Champions League place for next season nearly secure thanks to three consecutive league wins, Slot’s job is beginning to look safer.
Recent reports suggest as such, with Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor saying last week that the head coach is “expected to continue” next season.
Sky Sports’ report added: “Slot is set to retain the support of the hierarchy ahead of a summer in which more work is expected to be done to the squad following the announcement Mo Salah will be leaving.”
If Liverpool were to dismiss Slot, it would surely be with a clear plan in mind; the owners won’t pull the trigger without a replacement lined up.
The man who has been the subject of most rumours is Xabi Alonso. Media in Spain have linked him heavily with the job, but UK-based journalists have not indicated that an appointment is pending.
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