Barely 24 hours after suffering its earliest relegation in Premier League history, the management of the English football club, Southampton, has terminated the appointment of its manager, Ivan Juric, over poor performance.
To avoid a leadership vacuum, Simon Rusk has been appointed to step in as interim manager with Adam Lallana acting as his assistant.
Juric was relieved of his duty as the head coach after his team’s 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, seeing their demotion confirmed with seven games to go.
Southampton management announced the 49-year-old man’s dismissal on Monday, paving the way for a new era under the guidance of a skilled replacement to push the English club to a new level.
“Ivan arrived during a turbulent period for the club, with the aim of steering the team to safety. Despite his and his staff’s dedication and hard work, the improvements we had hoped for did not materialize. We remain grateful for their honesty and effort in facing a tough situation head-on,” it said in a statement.
“With relegation to the Championship now confirmed, we believe it is important to give fans, players and staff some clarity on the future as we head into a very important summer.”
“The process of finding a new manager to lead us as we look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League has now begun and is being led by Group Technical Director Johannes Spors. 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,” it added.
Juric lasted just 107 days at St Mary’s and oversaw only one victory in the Premier League – a 2-1 triumph at Ipswich.
His spell in charge is the ninth-shortest reign as a manager in Premier League history.
