Austrian Hasenhuttl can help club rediscover ‘the Southampton way’

Southampton have announced the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl as their new manager. The 51-year-old Austrian, who succeeds Mark Hughes, has agreed a two-anda-half-year deal and will take charge today.

The Saints parted company with Hughes on Monday having won only one of their 14 Premier League games this season and lying 18th in the table.

Former RB Leipzig coach Hasenhuttl was available after ending his impressive spell with the German club in the summer. He previously coached at Unterhaching, Aalen and Ingolstadt.

Southampton 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 Hasenhuttl has agreed to become our new manager.

“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.

“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.”

Hasenhuttl took over at RB Leipzig in summer 2016, with them having just secured promotion to the Bundesliga. He guided them to a second place finish the following season. 0 Ralph Hasenhuttl: Took RB Leipzig to a second place finish