LONDON (AP) — Ivan Juric was fired by Southampton on Monday after the last-placed Premier League club was relegated — marking his second sacking of the season.
Simon Rusk was named Southampton's interim manager and will be assisted by Adam Lallana.
In November Juric was also fired by Roma after being in charge of the Italian side for under two months, then hired by Southampton in December to replace Russell Martin. He had signed an 18-month contract with Southampton.
With just 10 points from 31 games, Southampton’s fate was sealed with a 3-1 loss to Tottenham on Sunday.
“We can confirm that we have today reached an agreement with our men’s first team anager, Ivan Juric, to end his spell at the club,” Southampton said in a statement.
“Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation,” the club added. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up.”
Southampton won only one of 14 Premier League matches under Juric and only two overall, with the other victory coming in the FA Cup.
It is the fourth-earliest relegation in the Premier League era, according to the league’s statistician Opta.
Juric, a Croatian, was coaching outside of Italy for the first time. He has also managed Mantova, Crotone, Genoa, Hellas Verona and Torino.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, background left and Jan Bednarek foreground react after Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson, right, scored his side's second goal of the game as he celebrates with teammate James Maddison, during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London, Sunday April 6, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)
Southampton manager Ivan Juric looks on at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London, Sunday April 6, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)
SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Turmoil at the FIA, the governing body for auto racing series like Formula 1, has deepened after its deputy president for sport resigned in protest at how it is run.
Robert Reid was a running mate when FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was elected in 2021. His resignation is the latest sign of discontent with the direction taken by the FIA under Ben Sulayem, whose tenure has seen a rift with F1 drivers and numerous senior officials leave or be replaced.
“I took on this role to help deliver greater transparency, stronger governance, and more collaborative leadership,” Reid posted on social media on Thursday.
“Over time, those principles have been increasingly set aside and I can no longer, in good faith, remain part of a system that no longer reflects them.”
The FIA has clashed with F1 drivers over Ben Sulayem's plans to crack down on swearing. New rules introduced for 2025 make it possible for the FIA to suspend drivers who repeatedly swear or make political statements.
F1 champion Max Verstappen kept his answers to a minimum at an FIA news conference last year after he was punished for swearing. Drivers in the world rally championship last month boycotted interviews to protest a fine issued to a driver who used an expletive in an interview.
Reid, a former world champion rally co-driver, isn't the only voice at the FIA to express concern at how it is run.
British representative David Richards, a colleague of Reid's from his rallying days, said on Wednesday he was seeking a meeting with Ben Sulayem. Richards alleged he was excluded from a meeting of the FIA world motor sport council for refusing to sign a document he called a “gagging order" that would ban public discussion of key topics.
The FIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Reid's resignation.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
The FIA logo is displayed in the paddock ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The FIA logo is displayed in the paddock ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
FILE -The FIA logo is seen on glass, with the sky reflected, during a free practice ahead the British Formula One Grand Prix at the Silverstone racetrack, in Silverstone, England, Friday, June 19 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
