Southampton have parted ways with manager Ivan Juric following the club’s historic early relegation from the Premier League.
The Saints’ fate was sealed on matchday 31 after a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, marking the earliest relegation ever confirmed in Premier League history.
Juric departs having lost 12 of his 14 matches in charge since taking over in December. He had inherited a side already rooted to the bottom following the departure of Russell Martin.
In the interim, assistant coach Simon Rusk will lead the team for the remainder of the season, with veteran midfielder Adam Lallana stepping in to support him.
Lallana, 36, returned to his boyhood club last summer and has made 18 appearances this season. He will now shift focus to a dual role as player-assistant until the season ends.
Despite being mathematically down, Southampton still have something to fight for. With only 10 points so far, they must earn at least two more from their final seven matches to avoid matching or falling below Derby County’s all-time low of 11 points in the 2007/08 season.
Sunday’s defeat marked the Saints’ 25th loss of the campaign. Four more defeats would see them tie the Premier League record for most losses in a single season.
That record is currently held jointly by Derby in 2007/08, Ipswich Town in 1994/95, Sunderland in 2005/06 and Sheffield United in 2020/21, each with 29 defeats.
The final stretch of the season, though stripped of survival hopes, could still define how the club’s Premier League legacy is remembered.
