Latest news with #SouthamptonFC
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Southampton owner Dragan Solak open to investors but ‘selling the club never on my mind'
Southampton owner and chairman Dragan Solak has confirmed he has no plans to sell the club, but says he would welcome future investment from partners. Solak is the lead investor of Sport Republic, the investment firm that bought an 80 per cent stake in Southampton in 2022, and became the club's chairman in January after Henrik Kraft stepped down. Advertisement Southampton were relegated from the Premier League in April with seven games remaining. Manager Russell Martin was sacked in December and his successor, Ivan Juric, was dismissed in April after winning only one of his 14 league games in charge. Will Still, who left Ligue 1 side Lens at the end of the season, has now taken over. After some suggestions in April that Solak may look to move on from Southampton, the 60-year-old told the BBC a sale 'is not part of any plan'. 'I never had any plans of selling the club,' Solak said. 'I might invite some partners to join me when and if we (are promoted) to the Premier League because I think we will need maybe more base to invest and to be even better, but selling the club was never on my mind. 'I was thinking much more about this 10-year project of how to develop the club commercially and financially so it is more robust and less dependent on TV rights. 'My love for Southampton and respect and loyalty are just growing through all this.' Southampton finished the 2024-25 campaign with 12 points, only one above the lowest ever total in a Premier League season, set by Derby County in 2007-08. Solak pointed to the departure of Jason Wilcox, their director of football, as a factor. Wilcox became Manchester United's technical director in April 2024, and is now their director of football, but was not replaced ahead of Southampton's return to the Premier League. 'We suddenly lost a man who started building something and unfortunately we didn't replace him fast enough,' Solak said. 'We went into the challenges of the Premier League without a leading figure in our football department and that was very, very costly.' Johannes Spor was appointed in February as group technical director by Sport Republic, which also owns Turkish side Goztepe and French club Valenciennes. Southampton will discover their Championship fixtures next Thursday when the schedule is released by the English Football League. Still's side have made one signing so far this summer, bringing in Joshua Quarshie from German side Hoffenheim.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
I won't sell, my love for Saints is growing
During Dragan Solak's reign as Southampton owner he has so far witnessed two relegations, one promotion and now five different permanent while the downs might have outweighed the ups, Solak, in a wide-ranging interview, says he has "no plans" to sell the 60-year-old Serbian's company Sport Republic acquired a majority stake of the Saints in early only now, three and a half years on, has he spoken publicly to BBC Sport for the first time in one of the very few media interviews Solak has the clock a year and Southampton were still celebrating after a thrilling Championship play-off final win over Leeds United at Wembley to secure promotion to the Premier the campaign to follow was a damaging one for the club's reputation as they were relegated back to the second tier after a record number of defeats in a season."We have had some really great highs and enjoyable moments but we have also had devastating and sad periods - but I guess that's the sport," Solak told BBC Radio Solent."But the good thing is that my love, respect and loyalty for Southampton is just growing through all of this."Will Still's appointment makes him the fifth permanent head coach of Solak's tenure after Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones, Russell Martin and Ivan season, Saints struggled to adjust from the Championship to England's top tier, not helped by director of football Jason Wilcox leaving for Manchester United even before they had been said Saints had "reluctantly" allowed Wilcox to depart after just six months in the role."I really liked working with Jason during his time here but I understand it, if you get the call from Manchester United, you go," Solak added."We suddenly lost a man who [had] started building something, we didn't replace him fast enough so we went into the challenge of the Premier League without a leading figure in our football department and that was very, very costly." No plans to sell but potential room for investors Solak is the lead investor for Sport Republic - a British sports investment firm founded by Rasmus Ankersen and Henrik Kraft. They are also involved with, external Turkish side Goztepe, Valenciennes in France and African team FC Mali recent reports suggested Solak could be looking to sell Southampton but he denied these claims."I have never had any plans of selling the club," Solak said. "We have quite a few very exciting projects."I might invite some partners to join me if and when we are promoted to the Premier League, because I think we'll need maybe more [investment]."But selling was never on my mind, I was thinking much more about this 10-year project of how to develop the club commercially and financially so it is more robust and less dependent on TV rights deals." Sacked Saints boss Martin was 'unlucky' In his wide-ranging interview, Solak said previous head coach Russell Martin was "unlucky" to be sacked despite Southampton being rooted to the bottom of the table at the time. The Scot had led Saints into the top flight but was unable to mix it in the Premier League, winning just one game and suffering 13 39, has now been appointed as head coach of Rangers after six months out of Solak thinks he could have still been in charge at St Mary's if not for bad luck."I really believe he was absolutely, fundamentally behind his idea of football and that is not easy in an environment like the Premier League that is so competitive," Solak said."But to give him credit we were quite unlucky, I don't even know how to characterise some of the VAR decisions that we had - but in my opinion VAR took eight points off Russell's team."If he had those eight points more in December I think he would probably manage the team through the whole season."I'm not saying we would stay in the league but we would have [had] a much more competitive run and Russell would definitely still be leading the team."All three clubs that came up last season - Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton - went straight back down and failed to put up much of a fight in the gap between 17th and 18th positions was 13 points and bottom side Saints ultimately finished 26 points adrift of safety. "The truth is that the difference is too big that's for sure," Solak said."The gap has to be narrowed somehow or it will create problems for both the Championship and for the Premier League in the future."I think they should redistribute wealth and I don't think the quality of football would go down, this would allow the Championship to catch up and it will be much more meaningful competition between the teams." Listen and subscribe by clicking here for Southampton FC content on BBC Sounds New head coach Still 'a very smart guy' Former Lens boss Will Still became Saints' latest head coach in May, leaving Ligue 1 for his first taste of management in English became the youngest coach in Europe's top five leagues when appointed by Ligue 1 club Reims, aged 30, in October 2022."I spent some time with him and I have to say he's definitely a very smart guy," Solak said."He went from a first-tier team in France to come to the Championship, he thinks it's a right move for him because I think he believes his place is in British football."For him to be willing to basically take the challenge and to try to prove that it is his place, I think it's great so I'm very positive." Saints under Solak so far It was early in 2022 when Solak and Sport Republic purchased previous owner Gao Jisheng's stake in the south coast club, then managed by were mid-table in the Premier League and despite a disappointing end to that campaign with four straight defeats, Saints finished comfortably safe in 15th position with 40 points. But, the following campaign after taking just 12 points from 14 games, in November, Solak's board opted to part ways with the long-term coach who had been at St Mary's for nearly four Selles' brief caretaker stint, they welcomed Luton boss Nathan Jones on a three-and-a-half-year ended up being the club's shortest-serving manager as he was sacked after just 95 days in charge, losing nine of 14 were almost doomed to relegation to the Championship by then and their fate was ultimately sealed in May with a defeat at home by losing some key players in the early stages of the following season, new boss Martin's team quickly established themselves as a top Championship known for Martin's possession-based football, Saints secured a play-off spot and navigated their way to the final where they edged out Leeds at Wembley. But Saints struggled at the higher level, sacking Martin in December after a 5-0 thrashing by Tottenham left them nine points off came in on an 18-month deal but results failed to improve and he left in April, once Saints' relegation had been confirmed - with Still since signing a three-year-deal as his successor.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Southampton weigh €5m purchase of Köln striker Damion Downs
Florian Plettenberg reports that relegated Premier League club Southampton FC are interested in acquiring FC Köln striker Damion Downs. The newly-capped USMNT national netted 10 goals and contributed five assists for his promoted 2. Bundesliga outfit last season. His current estimated market value stands at a career high €5m. This, per Plettenberg, is the price the Saints are willing to pay. Advertisement Downs carries some Bundesliga experience as well. The now 20-year-old made ten relief appearances for Köln in the top flight during the 2023/24 campaign. The German American twice scored crucial goals off the bench. A dramatic late equalizer against Borussia Mönchengladbach on matchday 25 helped die Geißböcke snatch a 3-3 draw off their fierce Rhein rivals. Downs also helped die Effzeh complete a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over relegation rivals Union Berlin with a late winner on matchday 33. The points Downs directly helped his team gain ultimately couldn't help Köln avoid relegation, but the youngster quickly became a popular figure among both cathedral city side supporters and the German footballing public in general. Köln will obviously not be extra keen to allow their leading goal-scorer from last season depart, even if they have secured some attacking additions ahead of the coming Bundesliga season. Advertisement The local Kölner Stadt Anzeiger recently reported that Köln tendered Downs a generous four-year contract-extension replete with a hefty pay raise. Köln have made renewing with both Downs and midfielder Eric Martel a top priority. Downs – one of countless German footballers of partial U.S. military heritage – has his own tendencies. In the case of this particular footballer, a large portion of his childhood spent in the States led him to adopt English as his first language. GGFN | Peter Weis
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'A desperate, miserable season'
Here's my quick assessment of Southampton's Premier League season - and a return to my August the season: 20thPre-season prediction: 18thA desperate, miserable season for Saints. They were doomed early on as Russell Martin's passing strategy proved unsuitable against higher-calibre pressing opponents, while Ivan Juric's appointment as his replacement was only achievement was getting enough points to ensure they were not the Premier League's worst-ever team. A loyal support deserves better. Perhaps the Championship can provide the chance of a reset under new manager Will I said in August: "It may be a high-risk strategy in the Premier League, as Burnley discovered last season, but Russell Martin does not appear for turning."Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here
CNA
26-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Saints go marching to a new beat as Will Still vows high-octane revival
SOUTHAMPTON, England :At just 32, Will Still speaks with the conviction of a veteran tactician as he outlines his blueprint to resurrect a Southampton side still reeling from one of English football's most calamitous campaigns. The Belgian-born English coach has wasted no time setting out his stall after signing a three-year deal with the recently relegated Saints, who endured Premier League ignominy as the first team to lose 30 matches in a 38-game season. "I don't like to sit in and wait and be passive," Still told reporters at St Mary's after witnessing Southampton's defeat by Arsenal. "I'd like our teams to dominate, to go and press, to be as aggressive as we can be." Still arrives fresh from guiding RC Lens to eighth place in France's Ligue 1, and his appointment represents a bold statement from a club desperate to bounce back from a season that yielded a paltry 12 points. Southampton's dramatic fall mirrors the rapid rise of their new manager, who has quickly built a reputation for high-octane football during his brief but impressive career. "We want to be high up the pitch and in the opposition's third as much as possible," said Still, articulating the antithesis of the football that saw Southampton sink with barely a whimper. His philosophy extends beyond tactical diagrams to the club's fractured culture. "It's about creating that environment where we're here to win and we want to win consistently," he explained. "I want to create this high-energy team with good humans who actually enjoy doing ultimately the best job in the world." With five weeks before pre-season begins, Still is already immersing himself in all things Southampton, studying past matches and familiarising himself with his new surroundings. "It allows you to come back in for pre-season and just hit the ground running," he said – precisely what Saints supporters will be hoping for as they look to return their club to the Premier League at the first attempt.
