Ivan Juric’s brief and bruising stint at Southampton has come to an end, just one day after the club’s record-setting relegation from the Premier League was confirmed with a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham.
Appointed in late December to salvage a season already slipping beyond reach, Juric managed just one win in 14 league games. The Croatian’s reign ends after only 107 days in charge, one of the shortest tenures in Premier League history. His final act was watching a beleaguered Saints side slump to their 25th loss of the season, sealing a fall that now feels inevitable in hindsight.
In a statement, Southampton thanked Juric for his efforts in a “difficult situation,” acknowledging that performances failed to progress as hoped. The club stressed the importance of clarity ahead of what promises to be a defining summer in the Championship. Simon Rusk will take over on an interim basis, assisted by former Saint Adam Lallana, for the final seven fixtures.
Juric inherited a fractured squad with no identity, no momentum, and little belief. He was unable to reverse a dire run of form that began under Russell Martin, the man he replaced. The Saints have now lost 12 of their last 14 games and sit bottom with 10 points, two shy of Derby County’s infamous 11-point finish in 2007-08.
Promoted via the play-offs last summer, Southampton never found their footing back in the top flight. They lost eight of their first nine games and haven’t recovered since, scoring just 23 goals while conceding a league-high 74. No team across England’s top four divisions has scored fewer.
Juric arrived in England following a short-lived spell at Roma, but a lack of Premier League experience proved costly. Southampton’s decision to roll the dice twice this season has only accelerated their decline. The focus now shifts to rebuilding a shattered squad and restoring belief in a fanbase numbed by failure.
