Ralph Hasenhüttl

Ralph Hasenhüttl ( born 9 August 1967) is an Austrian professional football manager and former player. During his playing career, he played as a centre forward.

Ralph Hasenhüttl
Ralph Hasenhüttl (2016).jpg
Hasenhüttl with RB Leipzig in 2016
Personal information
Full nameRalph Hasenhüttl[1]
Date of birth (1967-08-09) 9 August 1967 (age 57)
Place of birthGraz, Austria
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing positionCentre forward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1985–1989GAK65(20)
1989–1994Austria Wien134(44)
1994–1996Austria Salzburg53(13)
1996–1997Mechelen27(8)
1997–1998Lierse22(4)
1998–20001. FC Köln41(3)
2000–2002Greuther Fürth51(13)
2002–2004Bayern Munich II57(14)
Total450(119)
National team
1988–1994Austria8(3)
Teams managed
2007–2010SpVgg Unterhaching
2011–2013VfR Aalen
2013–2016FC Ingolstadt 04
2016–2018RB Leipzig
2018–2022Southampton
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Born in Graz he started his career with hometown club GAK, making his first team debut in the 1985–86 season.[2] Then he went to Austria Wien in 1989, with whom he won three successive Bundesliga titles and two Austrian Cups.[2][3] His next stop was Austria Salzburg in 1994,[2] where he won another Bundesliga title as well as an Austrian Super Cup. From 1996 on Hasenhüttl played abroad playing for Mechelen and Lierse in Belgium. Then he signed for 1. FC Köln and in 2000 moved to SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Hasenhüttl finished his career at Bayern Munich II, in the Regionalliga Süd.

Hasenhüttl played eight times for the Austria national team, scoring three goals.

Managerial career

SpVgg Unterhaching

Between 2004 and 2005 Hasenhüttl was a youth-team coach at SpVgg Unterhaching. In March 2007, he became caretaker manager until the appointment of Werner Lorant, under whom he worked as assistant coach. On 4 October 2007, Hasenhüttl became the new head coach. In the 2009–10 season they were less sucessful so Hasenhüttl was sacked on 22 February 2010. His final match was a 1–1 draw against Borussia Dortmund II on 21 February 2010.[4]

VfR Aalen

 
Hasenhüttl with VfR Aalen in May 2012, celebrating the club's promotion to the 2. Bundesliga

In January 2011, Hasenhüttl followed Rainer Scharinger as the coach of third division VfR Aalen,[5] Aalen was in 16th place, one point above the relegation zone. Aalen's survival in the 3. Liga earned him a year's contract extension. In the 2011–12 season Aalen finished in second place, earning automatic promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.

2012-13 the e team finished the season in ninth place, the highest of the newly promoted teams. After two-and-a-half successful years at Aalen, Hasenhüttl resigned in June 2013,[6] when Aalen lost its main sponsor and sporting director Markus Schupp choosed an austerity programme for the following season.[5][7]

FC Ingolstadt 04

In October 2013 became coach of Ingolstadt 04,.[8] In his first season, he took them from bottom of the 2. Bundesliga to tenth place. In the 2014–15 season, Hasenhüttl took Ingolstadt to the Bundesliga for the first time, finishing the season as 2. Bundesliga champions. In the 2015–16 season Ingolstadt stayed in the Bundesliga, but he did not extend his contract.[9]

RB Leipzig

In May 2016, he became the new manager of newly promoted RB Leipzig. In his and the club's debut season in the Bundesliga Hasenhüttl led Leipzig to a second-place. The following season, the club finished sixth. He asked for termination of contract and in May 2018, he left RB Leipzig.[10]

Southampton

On 5 December 2018 he became the new manager of Southampton. He was the first Austrian to manage in the Premier League.[11][12] At that time the club was one point from safety. On 27 April 2019, Southampton secured Premier League status after a 3–3 draw against Bournemouth at St Mary's.[13] They finished the season in 16th place.[14]

Hasenhüttl's side suffered a 9–0 home loss to Leicester City on 25 October 2019 and the joint-worst loss in Premier League history and worst on home ground. In June 2020, he signed a new contract to extend his stay at the club until 2024.[15] Despite being in the relegation zone in early November, Southampton ended the season on a seven-game unbeaten streak to finish in 11th place, their best finish in three seasons.

Southampton ended the 2020–21 season struggling and finishing 15th. On 7 November 2022, Southampton parted company with Hasenhüttl.[16] At the time, Southampton were in the Premier League relegation zone with 12 points after 14 games.[17]

Honours

Player

Austria Wien

Austria Salzburg

  • Austrian Bundesliga: 1994–95
  • Austrian Supercup: 1995

Lierse SK

  • Belgian Super Cup: 1997[18]

Manager

Aalen

FC Ingolstadt 04

Individual

  • Premier League Manager of the Month: July 2020[19]

References

  1. "Manager Details: Ralph Hasenhuttl". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Ralph Hasenhüttl: Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  3. Bagchi, Rob (3 December 2018). "Who is Ralph Hasenhuttl? Favourite for the Southampton job profiled". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235 . https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/12/03/ralph-hasenhuttl-favourite-southampton-job-profiled/. Retrieved 4 December 2018. 
  4. "SpVgg Unterhaching". kicker.de (in Deutsch). kicker. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "VfR Aalen" (in Deutsch). kicker. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  6. "Ralph Hasenhüttl verlässt VfR Aalen". Der Tagesspiegel (in Deutsch). 2 June 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  7. Vgl. Beim VfR prangt Prowin auf der Brust, kicker.de, retrieved 23 December 2012.
  8. "Ingolstadt verpflichtet Hasenhüttel". Spiegel Online (in Deutsch). 4 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  9. "FC Ingolstadt 04" (in Deutsch). kicker. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  10. (in de) RB LEIPZIG KOMMT DER BITTE VON TRAINER RALPH HASENHÜTTL UM VORZEITIGE VERTRAGSAUFLÖSUNG NACH. RB Leipzig. https://www.dierotenbullen.com/de/aktuelles/neuigkeiten/Saison_2017_18/Personalentscheidung-Ralph-Hasenhuettl.html. Retrieved 16 May 2018. 
  11. Southampton confirm appoint of Ralph Hasenhüttl as new manager. 5 December 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/05/southampton-appoint-ralph-hasenhuttl-new-manager. Retrieved 5 December 2018. 
  12. "Ralph Hasenhuttl: Southampton name former RB Leipzig boss as new manager". BBC Sport. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  13. "Southampton 3-3 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  14. "Southampton 1-1 Huddersfield Town". BBC Sport. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  15. "Hasenhüttl given new contract after turning Southampton around". The Guardian. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  16. "Club statement: Ralph Hasenhüttl". Southampton FC. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  17. "Southampton sack manager Hasenhuttl after poor run". BBC Sport. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  18. LE LIERSE A REMPORTE SA 1RE SUPER-COUPE ET MAINTENANT L'APPRENTISSAGE DE LA LIGUE DES CHAMPIONS... LIERSE 1 EKEREN 0. lesoir.be. 7 August 1997. https://www.lesoir.be/art/%252Fle-lierse-a-remporte-sa-1re-super-coupe-et-maintenant-l_t-19970807-Z0E25P.html. Retrieved 24 November 2021. 
  19. "Hasenhuttl wins Barclays Manager of the Month award". Premier League. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.