Southampton sack Ivan Juric after Premier League relegation

Southampton have sacked manager Ivan Juric following their relegation from the Premier League, the club announced on Monday.

The Saints’ demotion was confirmed after a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday — a result that sealed their fate with seven matches remaining.

It marks the earliest Premier League relegation in history, surpassing previous records held by Derby County (2008) and Huddersfield Town (2019), who both went down with six games to spare.

Juric, 49, was appointed in December to replace Russell Martin and tasked with steering a struggling squad away from the drop zone. However, the Croatian managed just one league win — a 2-1 victory at Ipswich in February — and oversaw a dismal run of form that included 25 defeats in 31 matches.

Southampton have now lost seven of their last eight Premier League fixtures and sit rock bottom of the table.

Rusk appointed interim manager

In a statement, the club confirmed that Simon Rusk will assume interim managerial duties for the remainder of the season, assisted by former Saints midfielder Adam Lallana.

“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,” the club said.

“Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up.”

Focus shifts to championship and rebuilding

Southampton acknowledged the need for clarity and direction ahead of a crucial summer in the Championship.

“With relegation to the Championship now confirmed, we believe it is important to give fans, players, and staff some clarity on the future. Despite the challenges that relegation will bring, our goal is to restore a sense of pride for them in their team and club once again.”

The club also expressed appreciation for the fans’ unwavering support throughout a painful campaign.