Southampton

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to consider retirement in 2024

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 08 February 2022

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl reveals that he is considering retirement from football when his contract expires in the summer of 2024.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has revealed that he is considering retirement from football when his contract expires in the summer of 2024.

The 54-year-old joined the Saints in December 2018 and he would become the club's longest-serving manager should he see out the remainder of his deal at St Mary's.

Hasenhuttl, however, has played down suggestions that he would continue beyond his current contract and wants to leave Southampton "on a very healthy footing" should he depart in the next two and a half years.

Speaking to German news outlet Kicker, via Hampshire Live, Hasenhuttl said: "I always wanted to prove to myself that I could very well work for a club for a longer period of time. Hopefully, it will be five and a half years here, that's a damn long time in modern football, and then that's probably it.

"Five and a half years in the Premier League, that's a lot of energy, regardless of job satisfaction. I can't imagine that I want to do anything else in the coaching job after that.

"And saying no to everything else is also a yes to yourself, and I want that," the Austrian added.

"That's the solid plan and I hope I have the strength to pull it off. [I want to] put Southampton on a very healthy footing by 2024, but then that was it.

"Then I'll be 57 years old. I'd like to experience other things and not sit on the bench like Roy Hodgson at 74. Definitely not."

Hasenhuttl's best league finish with Southampton was 11th place in 2019-20, but his side are in contention for a top-half finish this campaign, as they currently sit just one point behind 10th-placed Leicester City.