REPORT: Ralph Hasenhuttl in talks for first managerial role since leaving Southampton in 2022

It is possible that Ralph Hasenhuttl may land his first position after being fired from Southampton in November 2022.

After Mark Hughes was fired from Southampton in December 2018, the Austrian coach took over as manager unexpectedly and led the team for less than four years.

During that period, Southampton gained a reputation for using a strong, high-pressing style that Hasenhuttl brought from his time at RB Leipzig, and their supporters frequently believed that they could defeat anybody on any given day. The emphasis on transitions from chalk and cheese to Martin’s control principles by Hasenhuttl was a sharp contrast to Russell Martin’s current possession-based style.

The issue was that, as Hasenhuttl’s tenure came to a conclusion, Southampton’s days were becoming fewer and farther between, and there was a perception that things had become a little boring.

Early in November 2022, following a crushing 4-1 loss to Newcastle United at home that dropped the Saints into the relegation zone after six losses in nine games, Hasenhuttl was fired.

The bulk of the fan base still holds Hasenhuttl in high respect despite how his time at the club ended. They acknowledge the tremendous job he accomplished throughout his term with little financial support and also recognize that his time at the club had come to an end.

It appears that Hasenhuttl may be headed back to the dugout after missing 16 months of action.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is in negotiations to manage Wolfsburg

Florian Plettenberg, a Bundesliga expert and reporter for Sky Sports, claims that Hasenhuttl is a contender for the vacant manager position at Wolfsburg, which became available after Niko Kovac was fired.

In a post, Plettenburg reaffirmed his interest in “X,” stating that discussions had taken place between Wolfsburg and Hasenhuttl, with the former Saints manager being “one of the preferred options.”

Plettenburg has stated that the material he has received indicates that it is a job that “Hasenhuttl can really imagine to take over,” but Hasenhuttl is unlikely to jump into a project he does not believe in given that he has been out of the game for the better part of a year and a half.

Wolfsburg is only six points above the relegation play-off berth in the Bundesliga, sitting in 14th place. With just one victory in their previous 11 league games, the former Bundesliga champions are clearly in serious decline.

Hasenhuttl will face challenges if he accepts the manager position, although he has experience in Germany after leading RB Leipzig to an incredible second-place result in their first top flight season in 2016–17. Pep Guardiola called Hasenhuttl “exceptional” in 2020.

By the end of his time at St Mary’s, Hasenhuttl had adopted a cynical, worn-out attitude in place of the contagious enthusiasm he had come to be associated with during his time at Southampton. But the Austrian’s spell off the field ought to have rejuvenated him, and Southampton supporters will undoubtedly be closely watching how their former manager performs should he be named the new Wolsfburg manager.