"Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation," the club said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we haven't seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up. With relegation to the Championship now confirmed, we believe it is important to give fans, players, and staff some clarity on the future as we head into a very important summer."
Simon Rusk is expected to take over as interim manager, with former Saints midfielder Adam Lallana stepping in as his assistant. Juric's stint at St Mary's lasted just 107 days, during which he secured only one Premier League victory—a 2-1 win over Ipswich. His tenure now stands as the ninth-shortest in Premier League history.
Southampton, rooted at the bottom with just 10 points, now risk breaking Derby County's infamous 11-point record from the 2007-08 season unless they pick up at least two more points. Juric had arrived at the club after a brief and unsuccessful spell at Roma, where he was dismissed after only 12 games. The 49-year-old previously held positions in Italy with clubs such as Torino, Hellas Verona, Genoa, and Crotone.
After winning promotion via the play-offs last season by beating Leeds, Southampton's return to the top flight unraveled rapidly. They lost eight of their first nine games, and their only win in the opening 23 fixtures came in November against Everton. Juric, lacking experience in English football, lost his first six matches in charge and couldn't reverse the club's decline. By the time he took over, the Saints were already nine points from safety; Sunday's result left them 22 points adrift of 17th-placed Wolves.
Statistically, Southampton have been one of the worst-performing teams in Premier League history. They have conceded a league-high 74 goals, scored the fewest across all top four English divisions (23 goals in 31 games), and have matched the lowest-ever point tally after 31 games (10).
BBC Sport's Nick Mashiter noted that the roots of the crisis trace back to the summer, before Juric's appointment. Many believed the team that returned to the Premier League was weaker than the one that earned promotion. The club's structure was also thrown into question following the departure of technical director Jason Wilcox to Manchester United and, more recently, head of recruitment Darren Mowbray. Juric's brief, turbulent tenure, following Martin's struggles, only compounded what had already become a season to forget.
