Southampton appoint Mauricio Pellegrino as manager

Mauricio Pellegrino has been named as Southampton’s First Team Manager, the club announced.

Pellegrino, 45, replaces Claude Puel who was sacked by Southampton on 14 June after one season in charge.

In an interview with the Official Southampton Website, Pellegrino said, “I am really happy to become the new coach of Southampton Football Club. The club has a great reputation for having a strong and stable structure, competing in the Premier League and playing attractive football.

“I think my philosophy and the culture of the club will work well together. We have to be a team on and off the pitch; I want to make the supporters proud of the players and to feel part of the game every week. I want to win matches, be successful and develop a team spirit where everyone gives 100 per cent and supports each other.”

Pellegrino recently was in charge of Spanish side Alaves following stints at Argentine clubs Independiente and Estudiantes. He was formerly an assistant at Liverpool and Inter Milan before getting his start with Valencia in December 2010.

Southampton Vice Chairman Les Reed said, “We firmly believe Mauricio is the right person to help us take the next steps. He knows our players and believes we have a great squad that with some fine-tuning will be able to deliver continued success.”