Soccer

Confirmed: Ralph Hasenhüttl is the new Southampton manager

The Austrian manager ended his impressive spell with RB Leipzig in the summer

Ralph Hasenhuttl is the new Southampton manager. Photograph: PA

Wed Dec 5 2018 - 12:14

Southampton have confirmed the appointment of Ralph Hasenhüttl as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal. The Austrian takes over from Mark Hughes, who was sacked on Monday.

Hasenhüttl will attend the match at Tottenham on Wednesday night but his first game in charge of the team will be at Cardiff on Saturday.

The 52-year-old, a former Austria international, had been out of work after leaving RB Leipzig in May after a dispute over a new contract. His previous coaching jobs include a spell at Ingolstadt, whom he led to the Bundesliga for the first time.

Southampton's chairman, Ralph Krueger, said: "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 … 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."

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He added: “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.”

Southampton are in the Premier League’s relegation zone with one victory from 14 matches this season.

Hasenhüttl guided newly-promoted RB Leipzig to second place in the Bundesliga in the 2016-17 season. The ex-Austria forward will be Saints' fourth manager in two years with Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino also being sacked since Ronald Koeman left for Everton in 2016.

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