Latest news with #Spors
India Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Relegated Southampton appoint Will Still as manager on three-year deal
Relegated Premier League side Southampton have confirmed the appointment of 32-year-old Will Still as their new manager on a three-year contract, with the Belgian-born Englishman tasked with guiding the club back to the top flight after a turbulent south-coast club, which endured its earliest-ever relegation from the Premier League following a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in April, wasted no time in securing their next leader. The loss to Spurs sealed Southampton's fate with seven games left to play, leading to the departure of Croatian manager Ivan Juric the following who had been at the helm of French Ligue 1 side Lens, made the decision to leave his position with the club last week, expressing a desire to return to the UK for what promises to be an exciting new chapter at Southampton. "I'm excited for the opportunity here at Southampton. There is huge potential, and I believe we have the chance to do something special," said Still, who signed a three-year deal on Sunday. "The project that has been laid out to me is very impressive. I'm eager to start building a strong, close-knit group that can ultimately get us back where we belong: in the Premier League."Still takes over from Ivan Juric, whose tenure at St Mary's was marred by the club's catastrophic drop to the Championship. Despite Juric's best efforts, the Saints were unable to avoid relegation, finishing in 19th place. With the task of returning Southampton to Premier League contention in mind, Still brings with him a wealth of experience from his time at Lens, where he made a name for himself with a clear tactical philosophy and impressive Technical Director Johannes Spors praised Still's credentials, highlighting his innovative approach and strong leadership qualities. "Will is a young, innovative manager who has already gained significant experience, and we've been extremely impressed with his track record and our conversations with him," Spors remarked. "What stood out most was his clarity of vision and his adaptability. These qualities will be essential as we navigate the Championship next season."Spors also emphasized Still's ability to foster a positive team culture, saying that his values and personality made him a perfect fit for the ambitious new project at Southampton. "We believe he will help us build a clear identity and a positive future for the team," Spors appointment of Still signals a new era for the Saints as they look to bounce back from their relegation nightmare. Fans will be eager to see how he shapes the squad over the summer and builds a team capable of competing at the top of the departure from Lens was met with appreciation, with the French club releasing a statement praising his contributions. "Will embodied the values of RCL through his resilience, passion, and authenticity," said the club. They also confirmed that Still's brothers, Edward and Nicolas, would be leaving Lens, though it remains unclear whether they will join him at is expected to be at St Mary's Stadium this Sunday for the Saints' final Premier League fixture of the season against Watch
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Spors 'exudes a quiet confidence'
When Johannes Spors was finally appointed in February, the indications from the club were that there had been a long notice period to work through before announcing him. So I wonder whether Spors quite envisaged the freefall back to the Championship that he has now taken I asked him about why he had taken the job with Saints owners Sport Republic, he talked about the Premier League being an attraction. Well, he has got some work to do now to enjoy that attraction beyond May!The 42-year-old German was engaging and his poise left me with a sense of trust - my first impressions are that he has faith in his own ability, built up from the successes he has enjoyed with Red Bull and 777 Sports. He also exuded a quiet I were owner Dragan Solak, I would give him clear leadership on recruitment because Spors did confirm that he is happy to take full responsibility for recruitment at the will be a sizeable number of Southampton fans though, who will be concerned that co-owner Rasmus Ankersen could still cut across Spors' brief and make transfer decisions. I do not think Spors needs any help on that front - and I hope Dragan gives him autonomy to make decisions alongside himself and Ivan of managers, Spors' business is knowing who is who in football and keeping across players and coaches. He was well aware of Ivan Juric's successes in Italy and he stayed as neutral as you would expect about his future at the club. And although he could have totally ignored my question about possibly linking back up with Danny Rohl in the summer, Spors was quick to talk about how he has been tracking Rohl's progress since they went their separate ways after RB Leipzig.I like that he did not deny any interest in Rohl or just point-blank refuse to say poise and quiet confidence came out as he made sure we knew that he is in possession of all the information he needs to make the right to the full interview on BBC SoundsListen to live commentary of every Saints game on BBC Radio Solent, and download and subscribe to Goin' Home With Adam and Jo on BBC Sounds to get all the post-match thoughts that matter
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Great vision behind this project'
Southampton technical director Johannes Spors is committed to "taking responsibility and taking decisions" in his new role overseeing football at St Mary's is experienced in European football, having held similar leadership roles at RB Leipzig, Vitesse Arnhem and Genoa and succeeds Jason Wilcox who left for Manchester United in April 2024."There is a great vision behind this project and the football club," he told BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore. "I am here to execute and make sure we have a good structure in communication from one department to another and have a clear structure of who is doing what with clear responsibilities."That is the priority in the beginning - to make sure we have a setup that has a punch for the future."I'm here to help with every decision in the football [side of the club] and ultimately they are my responsibility. Scouting and recruitment of course are very relevant and they are some of my very first priorities."Spors was keen to stress the importance of synergy across departments within the club but acknowledged key decisions on the football side of the club will fall to him."I am here to take responsibility and take decisions," he said. "The way I work and lead is in a very integrated model. "I have been fortunate to work in many different cultures and every culture has a different way to come to decision-making. My experience is that we need a clear responsibility under my umbrella. "I make sure that every internal stakeholder is very close to me, is heard, and can have an opinion. That includes the manager, the scouting, the recruitment, our CEO and the ownership."I include everyone who has a say in this football club and then ultimately it's my responsibility."Listen now on BBC Sounds
