OFFICIAL: Saints appoint Hasenhuttl
Two days on from sacking Mark Hughes, Southampton have chosen Austrian coach Ralph Hasenhuttl as his replacement.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has been appointed as the successor to Mark Hughes as Southampton manager, the Premier League club have announced.
Hughes was sacked on Monday with Southampton sitting 18th in the table, paving the way for Hasenhuttl to take over on a two-and-a-half year deal
The Austrian will officially take the reins on Thursday, but he is expected to travel to London to take in Southampton's clash with Tottenham at Wembley on Wednesday night.
The 51-year-old previously managed German side RB Leipzig, where he gained a reputation for playing high-energy, attacking football and giving opportunities to young players, but has been unemployed since leaving the Bundesliga side at the end of last season after the two parties failed to agree on a contract extension..
Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger was delighted with the appointment, saying: “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. “We have been aware of Ralph since his days at FC Ingolstadt, where he showed the qualities that we believe we need at the club. He has since gone on to develop those attributes with a track-record of success in the Bundesliga and with a progressive and ambitious club in RB Leipzig.
“As soon as we met, Ralph’s enthusiasm for football was contagious and his hunger to take on a new and challenging job in the Premier League was evident. In our discussions, he very quickly aligned himself with the values and the vision of the club. “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.”
Hasenhuttl, who guided Leipzig to second in the Bundesliga in 2016/17 and the quarter-finals of the Europa League the following season, will be assisted by first-team assistant coach Kelvin Davis, head of goalkeeping Dave Watson, and head of sports science Alek Gross.