Southampton have confirmed the appointment of Ivan Juric as their new head coach, with the Croatian set to replace Russell Martin, who was dismissed earlier this season. Juric’s deal includes a break clause that will be reviewed next summer. If Southampton manage to avoid relegation, his contract could be extended by two more years.
Juric, 49, arrives at St Mary’s after a brief and turbulent stint at Roma, where he was sacked just two months into his tenure. Despite this setback, the Saints have long admired the Croatian manager, having previously considered him as a candidate to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl two years ago.
In addition to Juric, Southampton explored other managerial options, including West Brom’s Carlos Corberan, former Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, and Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl.
Who is Ivan Juric?
Juric began his coaching career as part of Gian Piero Gasperini’s staff at Inter Milan and Palermo, before embarking on his managerial journey. His first role as head coach came at Serie C side Mantova during the 2014-15 season. He then moved to Crotone in Serie B, where he led them to promotion to Serie A for the first time in their history. However, he departed the club to take over at Genoa, marking the start of a somewhat tumultuous period in his career, which included three separate spells at the club.
In 2019, Juric found stability at Hellas Verona, guiding them to two consecutive seasons in Serie A with one of the league’s smallest budgets. He then took the reins at Torino, where he spent three seasons before leaving at the end of last season. Juric’s next role was at Roma, but his time there was short-lived, as he was dismissed with the team hovering just above the relegation zone.
Juric now faces a crucial task at Southampton, where he will be expected to steer the club away from relegation and build a competitive squad for the future.
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