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Everton fires manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners

Sport

Everton fires manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners
Sport

Sport

Everton fires manager Dyche hours before a game in first big call by new American owners

2025-01-10 07:23 Last Updated At:07:33

In the first big call by its new American owners, Everton fired manager Sean Dyche on Thursday just a few hours before the struggling Premier League team played an FA Cup match.

Everton made the move with the team one point above the relegation zone and having won just one of its last 11 games.

More surprising, maybe was the timing of the announcement, which came around three hours before Everton hosted and beat third-tier Peterborough 2-0 in the third round of the FA Cup.

"It’s never nice when a manager loses his job, but then everyone had to get on with their jobs as well — there was a game of football in front of us all," said Leighton Baines, the club’s under-18s coach who along with captain Seamus Coleman was tasked with leading the team on an interim basis.

The storied club — a nine-time English champion which has been without a major trophy since 1995 — was bought last month by the Texas-based Friedkin Group in a deal reportedly worth in excess of 400 million pounds ($495 million).

Fronted by Dan Friedkin and his son Ryan, the group also owns Italian team Roma and has made itself unpopular with supporters of the Serie A club for making contentious management changes — including firing Daniele De Rossi, the club’s beloved former captain, early this season.

Removing Dyche might have been necessary, however, with Everton on a dreadful run of form and having scored in just three of its last 11 matches. With 15 goals from its 19 games, Everton is the second-lowest scorer in the division and has plunged to just one point above the bottom three.

“The process to appoint a new manager is underway and an update will be provided in due course,” Everton said in a statement.

David Moyes, who managed Everton from 2002-13, has been linked with the vacancy. In October, Jose Mourinho — the current coach of Fenerbahce — spoke openly about wanting to return to England to manage a team near the bottom of the standings and not in UEFA competition once his time in Turkey came to an end. Mourinho has coached Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham in the Premier League.

Dyche was in charge for nearly two years, during which he maintained Everton's status as an ever-present in England's top division since 1954. His style of play was pragmatic and often turgid, relying on not conceding goals more than providing entertainment — and that might be something the Friedkins look to change.

Everton’s next Premier League game is on Wednesday against Aston Villa.

Baines said he had no information about who would be in charge for that game.

“Not too sure about that right now,” he said. “Things moved so quickly today. Definitely haven't had time to think about what comes next just yet.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Everton's Beto, center, celebrates scoring during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Everton and Peterborough United at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Thursday Jan. 9, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Everton's Beto, center, celebrates scoring during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Everton and Peterborough United at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Thursday Jan. 9, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Everton caretaker managers Leighton Baines, left, and Seamus Coleman consult on the touchline during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Everton and Peterborough United at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Thursday Jan. 9, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Everton caretaker managers Leighton Baines, left, and Seamus Coleman consult on the touchline during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Everton and Peterborough United at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, Thursday Jan. 9, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Everton's Vitaliy Mykolenko, left, and Bournemouth's Evanilson in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Everton at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Everton's Vitaliy Mykolenko, left, and Bournemouth's Evanilson in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Everton at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

An aerial view of the newly constructed Everton Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, Liverpool, the soon-to-be new home of Everton Football Club, Monday Dec. 30, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

An aerial view of the newly constructed Everton Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, Liverpool, the soon-to-be new home of Everton Football Club, Monday Dec. 30, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero's yearly salaries are front-loaded under the $500 million, 14-year contract he agreed to this week with the Toronto Blue Jays, a deal that covers 2026-39.

A four-time All-Star first baseman, Guerrero receives a record $325 million signing bonus payable in 15 installments from 2025-39, according to contract details obtained by The Associated Press.

After earning $28.5 million this year under a one-year deal agreed to in January, Guerrero gets an initial $20 million of the signing bonus within 30 days of the contract's approval by Major League Baseball.

Toronto's remaining signing bonus payments are due each June 30 from 2026-39: $13 million in 2026, $14 million in 2027, $16 million in 2028, $18 million in 2029, $20 million each in 2030, ‘31 and ‘32, $22 million apiece in 2033 and ’34, $23 million in 2035, $24 million in 2036, $29 million in 2037, $31 million in 2038 and $33 million in 2039.

Guerrero gets salaries of $17 million each in 2026 and ‘27, $16 million in 2028, $15 million in 2029, $14.5 million apiece in 2030, ‘31 and ’32, $12.5 million each in 2033 and ’34, $11.5 million in 2035, $10.5 million in 2036, $7 million in 2037, $6.5 million in 2038 and $6 million in 2039.

Adding together salary and signing bonus, the new deal will pay Guerrero $528.5 million over 15 seasons: $48.5 million this year, $30 million in 2026, $31 million in 2027, $32 million in 2028, $33 million in 2029, $34.5 million annually from 2030-36, $36 million in 2037, $37.5 million in 2038 and $39 million in 2039.

His portion received as a signing bonus presumably will be exempt from state income tax in Florida, where Guerrero is a resident. The $325 million signing bonus also would be protected from any work stoppage.

He would earn a $150,000 bonus for winning an MVP award, $125,000 for finishing second in the voting, $100,000 for third, $75,000 for fourth and $50,000 for fifth.

Guerrero would get $50,000 each for making the All-Star team or winning World Series MVP, a Gold Glove award or a Silver Slugger. He would get $25,000 for League Championship Series MVP.

Toronto will provide four seats for all regular-season home games and a luxury suite at a discounted rate, subject to availability, for all regular-season and postseason home games.

He gets a full no-trade provision and a hotel suite on road trips.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returns to the dugout following eighth-inning baseball game action against the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returns to the dugout following eighth-inning baseball game action against the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

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