Southampton have announced the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl as their new manager.
The Austrian is likely to join the club very soon and has been signed on a two and a half year deal. Existing First Team Assistant Coach Kelvin Davis, Head of Goalkeeping Dave Watson and Head of Sports Science Alek Gross will be there to help him with the senior team affairs.
Hasenhuttl replaced Mark Hughes at St Mary’s and has been tasked with the job to keep the Saints afloat in the Premier League. They are currently in the 18th place and Hasenhuttl does have a mountain to climb.
He will watch Southampton’s midweek tie against Tottenham Hotspur at the Wembley and will coordinate his first training session on Thursday.
Chairman Ralph Krueger said, “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.”
