Hughes was replaced by Roberto Mancini as manager at Eastlands on Saturday.
“Well I’ve got to say that while nothing surprises you in football, that was a real surprise,” he told Sky Sports News.
“They’ve lost less games than anybody else in the Premiership this season. They’re in the semi-final of the League Cup, (for the) first time in 20 odd years, whatever the case may be.
“And I think that everybody’s surprised and it’s just the nature of the game at the moment.”
