Southampton confirm appointment of former Croatia star on 18-month deal after sacking Russell Martin

SOUTHAMPTON have appointed Ivan Juric days after axing Russell Martin.

The Saints are cut adrift at the bottom of the Premier League and Russell was giving his marching orders following a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham.

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They have wasted no time in finding his successor, hiring Juric on an 18-month contract.

Juric, 49, arrives after being sacked by Roma in November - less than two months after taking charge of the Serie A side.

The Croatian has been in management for ten years but never coached outside of Italy.

He said after putting pen to paper: “I’m very pleased. I think it's a really big challenge but I’m very optimistic because I saw a team that can do better.

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“It's important to immediately be connected with the fans. I want an aggressive team and I think that fans of Southampton will like that.”

Juric also had spells at Mantova, Crotone, and Hellas Verona, and he had three separate back-to-back stints at Genoa between 2016 and 2018.

His most successful reign came at Torino between 2021 and 2024, winning 44 games of 122 games in charge.

He is now tasked with keeping Southampton in the Premier League -his new side nine points off safety after winning just one match in 16.

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Juric's 18-month contract includes a summer break clause, and a two-year option to extend that will be triggered should Saints stay up.

Juric, a former Croatia international, is known for driving a hard line on fitness with his players while his playing style is less reliant on the playing out from the back style preferred by Martin.