After a disappointing start to the season, with only one win in 14 Premier League games, Southampton decided to sack Mark Hughes and appoint Ralph Hasenhüttl as new head coach.
The former Lipsia boss signed a 2- and a half-year deal with the Premier League side and will start working with the team from Thursday. After reaching the Europa League quarter finals with RB Leizpig and finishing the Bundesliga season just behind Bayern Munich in 2017, the German coach will now have the tough task to take the Saints outside of the relegation battle. Here's the welcome message from chairman Krueger:
"The urgency to find a path back to our potential and to the results that
we expect cannot be underestimated. For that reason, we are extremely
pleased that Ralph Hasenhüttl has agreed to become our new manager and
do all he can to help guide us back on that path.
This manager change offers us a fresh start and, very quickly, Ralph
emerged as our ideal candidate. As a coach, he embodies the passion,
structure, communication skill set, work ethic and appetite for growth
that we strive for in our Southampton Way. The quick, smooth and
seamless negotiation process underlines the character of the person that
he is.
Southampton Football Club’s past success was built on a clear identity.
The foundation of this identity was a focus on developing players,
whether from within our academy or after joining from other clubs.
Ralph’s ability to teach the game and to develop talent is evident in
his past and is a centrepiece of why he is the perfect choice to be the
new Saints manager.”
