Southampton have parted ways with manager Ivan Juric following the club’s relegation from the Premier League, the club announced on Monday.
The decision came after Southampton’s 3-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, which sealed their relegation in record time. The loss left Juric’s team with just one win from their last 31 Premier League matches, having suffered 25 defeats in a disastrous campaign.
Southampton’s relegation with seven games still to play has set an unwanted Premier League record, surpassing Derby and Huddersfield’s earlier relegations with six matches remaining in 2008 and 2019, respectively.
Juric, who replaced Russell Martin in December with the team already in deep trouble, won only one league match under his tenure—a 1-0 victory at Ipswich in February. The Saints have now lost seven of their last eight league matches.
Simon Rusk will step in as interim manager for the remainder of the season, assisted by Adam Lallana.
A statement from Southampton confirmed the departure, saying: “We can confirm that we have today reached an agreement with our men’s first-team manager, Ivan Juric, to end his spell at the club. Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with improving a squad in a challenging situation.”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t seen the progress we had hoped for, but we thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work in the fight to stay up,” the statement continued.
The club also expressed gratitude to their supporters: “With relegation to the Championship now confirmed, we believe it is important to provide clarity on the future as we approach a critical summer. We are incredibly thankful for the unwavering support of our fans. Despite a challenging season, their dedication and passion are appreciated by everyone at the club.”
Southampton’s focus now turns to rebuilding in the Championship, with the goal of restoring pride to the team and the supporters.
Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl, who previously worked as an assistant at Southampton, is among the frontrunners to replace Juric. Rohl had been a target for the club before Juric’s appointment. Additionally, former Hull City manager Liam Rosenior, who has had a strong first season with Ligue 1’s Strasbourg, has also been linked with the job.
Southampton’s next match will be at home to in-form Aston Villa on Saturday.
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