sportskeeda
SOUTHAMPTON is on the brink of appointing Croatian Ivan Juric as their new head coach.
The Saints released Russell Martin late Sunday and have quickly commenced interviews with potential candidates throughout the week.
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Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl and Carlos Corberan from West Brom were also considered, alongside former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand.
However, the club’s owners, Sport Republic, have opted for the disciplined Juric, who previously managed Torino and Roma.
The 49-year-old Juric was released by Roma after a short tenure of less than two months this season, having been succeeded by Claudio Ranieri.
The prospect of another interim appointment was discussed with Southampton.
Juric has now accepted a contract that lasts until the summer of 2026, with an option to extend for an additional two years.
The Saints find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League with just five points and are looking for a more permanent managerial solution by summer.
A former Croatia international, Juric is known for his rigorous fitness standards and has a tactical style that differs from Martin’s approach.
Simon Rusk, assistant to the Under-21 team, managed their narrow Carabao Cup loss against Liverpool on Wednesday.
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Juric might be available for Sunday’s match against Fulham, depending on his visa status.
This is not the first instance where Juric has been seriously considered for this role.
Disgruntled Southampton fans exited St Mary’s just 27 minutes into the match against Tottenham after trailing 4-0
In December 2022, while managing Torino, he was a top candidate to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl.
However, the Saints ultimately chose Nathan Jones instead.
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