Ralph Hasenhuttl: Southampton manager agrees new four-year contract | Football News
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Southampton expected to confirm extension on Tuesday; Club 14th in table ahead of Premier League restart
Last Updated: 01/06/20 11:49pm
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is set to sign a new four-year contract on Tuesday
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has agreed a new four-year contract to keep him at the club until 2024, with official confirmation expected on Tuesday.
The 52-year-old has been in charge of Saints for two-and-a-half years after succeeding Mark Hughes at St Mary’s in December 2018.
Hasenhuttl has established himself as a popular figure on the south coast and impressively steered the ship back on course after October’s record-breaking 9-0 home loss to Leicester.
Hasenhuttl was appointed Southampton manager in December 2018
Southampton sit in 14th place ahead of the Premier League’s resumption later this month.
Hasenhuttl’s side have a seven-point cushion above the relegation zone with nine matches remaining.
The Austrian, who previously managed Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, has backed youth during his time at Southampton, giving opportunities to the likes of Michael Obafemi and Yan Valery.
Hasenhuttl: Fergie text lifted me after 9-0
6:53 Ralph Hasenhuttl reveals that a supportive text message from Sir Alex Ferguson after Southampton’s 9-0 defeat to Leicester helped inspire him to turn things around.
In April, Hasenhuttl revealed on The Football Show that a supportive text message from Sir Alex Ferguson after Southampton’s 9-0 defeat to Leicester helped inspire him to turn things around.
Despite calls for Hasenhuttl to be sacked, the Southampton hierarchy stood by their man and he rewarded that faith by going on a sensational run of form that started in November.
That sequence of results, which saw them beat Chelsea and Tottenham along the way, culminated in a 2-1 win at Leicester, which helped banished the memory of the painful St Mary’s defeat and moved the club into mid-table.
In an interview with Saints legend Matt Le Tissier and Patrick Davison, Hasenhuttl said: “I received an SMS from Alex Ferguson [after the 9-0] – I didn’t know him. If I had never lost 9-0 I would have never had contact with him. That was the positive thing from the result. It really helped me. It gave me a lift as I was down and was looking for something to hold onto.
“I will have to live with this result my whole life. But when we won 2-1 in the rematch, the story is a good one. It’s helped me become a more experienced manager.”
Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when the season resumes. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches will be available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky’s free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
www.skysports.com 2020-06-01 22:05:00