Ivan Juric takes over as Southampton manager

Southampton have named Ivan Juric as their new manager on an 18-month contract, subject to a final work-permit approval.

The 49-year-old coach replaces Russell Martin, who was dismissed after last Sunday’s 5-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

Juric joins St Mary’s Stadium after a brief stint at Roma, where he managed only 12 games since September.

“I’m very pleased. I see a significant challenge ahead, but I’m optimistic because I believe in this team,” Juric stated.

“Connecting with fans is crucial. I want us to press aggressively and shift our mentality quickly for my football vision.”

He is the third Croat to manage a Premier League club, following Slaven Bilic and Velimir Zajec.

Juric’s journey to Southampton

In his decade of coaching, Juric achieved a historic promotion with one club and faced three dismissals by another.

A former Sevilla and Hajduk Split midfielder; he represented Croatia five times before retiring while at Genoa in 2010.

Until now, his entire managerial career had been spent in Italian football.

His pathway began with four years on the coaching staff of Genoa, Inter and Palermo.

Juric first went into management in 2014 at Mantova. But within months, Crotone – the club he played for between 2001 and 2006 – approached him to return.

He made a great decision, guiding Crotone to Serie A promotion in 2015/16, the club’s greatest achievement.

He returned to Genoa, and his June 2016 appointment as head coach marked the start of a rollercoaster.

Victories over AC Milan and Juventus started strong, but the club dismissed him in February 2017 after losing 5-0 to Pescara.

Two months later, Genoa’s owners reinstated Juric after they lost patience with his successor, Andrea Mandorlini.

The Croat guided the team to safety, but his time was up again in November 2017 when Davide Ballardini replaced him.

Less than a year later, in October 2018, the club appointed him as Genoa boss again, but luck eluded him.

Seven weeks later, the club sacked Juric after Serie C side Virtus Entella knocked them out of the Coppa Italia.

Juric returned to management with Hellas Verona, impressively keeping them in Serie A for two seasons before leaving for Torino.

After three solid seasons at Torino, Juric received an offer to revive Roma’s season following Daniele De Rossi’s sacking.

“Juric did not inspire improvement, leading to his dismissal on November 10 after only 12 matches as manager.”

At that time, Roma sat four points above the relegation zone in Serie A and last in Europa League.

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