Ralph Hasenhuttl Appointed New Southampton Manager
5th December 2018
He has agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with the club and will take over on Thursday.
- Southampton Football Club can today confirm it has appointed Ralph Hasenhüttl as its new First Team Manager.
- The 51-year-old will be supported by existing First Team Assistant Coach Kelvin Davis, Head of Goalkeeping Dave Watson and Head of Sports Science Alek Gross
- Hasenhüttl has gained an exciting reputation in Germany for playing high-energy, attacking football whilst developing the young players within his squads
SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom- Southampton Football Club can today confirm it has appointed Ralph
Hasenhüttl as its new First Team Manager.
Hasenhüttl has agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with the
club and will take over on Thursday.
The 51-year-old will be supported by existing First Team Assistant Coach Kelvin
Davis, Head of Goalkeeping Dave Watson and Head of Sports Science Alek Gross.
Hasenhüttl has gained an exciting reputation in Germany for playing
high-energy, attacking football whilst developing the young players within his
squads. Most recently, he led RB Leipzig to the Europa League quarter-finals,
having finished runners-up in the Bundesliga in his first season in charge.
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.
Developing players
“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.”