New Southampton manager had physical scrap with sporting director in a car park

talksport.com, 22 December 2024, 10:04
Southampton's new head coach Ivan Juric is one not to be messed with as his physical scrap with Torino's sporting director showed.

Juric has been handed an 18-month deal to replace Russell Martin with the Saints rock bottom of the Premier League.

The south coast club will need plenty of fight and the 49-year-old seemingly has that in abbundence.

This incident occurred during the 2022 summer transfer window as Juric grew frustrated with the club's slow pace in the market despite needing 10 new players.

Torino were in a bad state after star defender Gleison Bremer left for Juventus in a fee worth £49.1m.

The Croat reached boiling point while speaking with sporting director Davide Vagnati outside a hotel.

"Don't raise your voice at me," Vagnati loudly repeated as the two came head to head.

"P*** off," Juric responded as Marco Pellegri, Torino's team manager, came in between the bickering two.

"You're a f****** nobody," said Vagnati, despite hiring the coach himself the summer prior. "I've f****** had it up to here."

The sporting director demanded respect while calling Juric a 'd*******'.

Most read in Football

'Come here' - Tottenham starlet told to join Leicester City and learn from key player

Arsenal complete amazing feat last achieved in 2005 as they demolish Crystal Palace

Bukayo Saka spotted on crutches as Mikel admits he is 'worried' over Arsenal star's injury

Southampton confirm new manager but face anxious wait before Fulham match

"I don't have any," Juric retorted. "Go do your job."

A spectator from their hotel balcony recorded the altercation but lowered the phone as Vagnati screamed out.

Later speaking on what happened Vagnati said: "There was a debate. It wasn't nice to see but these things happen when you have two people who really care about doing things in a certain way."

The head coach clearly voiced his frustrations with the budgeting, complaining as early as a month into his new job.

"Torino have chosen to go down the path of austerity," he said. "That's fine. The only problem is, me and my staff weren't aware of this decision to start cutting back on everything, so I'm a bit surprised by this way of doing things."

Southampton fans will have to be convinced Juric is their man to drag them to Premier League survival following their struggles with Russell Martin.

Juric started coaching in 2014, managing teams in the the third and second Italian divisions.

In 2016 he joined Serie A side Genoa where he was appointed as manager three times in the next two years. Instability that would cause any fan to be cautious of the 49-year-old.

Prior to his move to the south coast he coached Italian side Roma but was fired in November as they sat 20th.

The Saints spent £108.3m last summer transfer window and are unlikely to spend big next time around. A possible hurdle Juric will have to overcome if he is unhappy with current players.

Top News

27 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly shortlisted 22-year-old Boca Juniors goalkeeper Leandro Brey as a transfer target for the January 2025 window. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim has suffered the worst start of a Manchester United manager in 92 years thanks to Thursday's disheartening 2-0 Premier League loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea suffered their worst Premier League collapse of the 2000s in their shock 2-1 home loss to Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk AVS and Estrela Amadora are in action for the last time in 2024 when they go head to head at the Estadio do Desportivo das Aves in round 16 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Saturday. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool wing wizard Mohamed Salah hit yet another Premier League goalscoring landmark as Arne Slot's league leaders fought back to defeat Leicester City 3-1 on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Leicester City at Anfield on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have lost key midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai to suspension for their trip to West Ham United in the Premier League this weekend. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The only team in the Premier League with their unbeaten home record still intact, Arsenal seek to avoid a festive giant killing in Friday's Emirates encounter with Ipswich Town. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The agent of Manchester United attacker Antony has confirmed that there is "concrete interest" in the Brazilian ahead of the January transfer window. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur's defensive crisis worsened in their 1-0 Premier League loss to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, as Djed Spence was sent off while Radu Dragusin sustained an ankle injury. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to end 2024 on top of Serie A, league leaders Atalanta BC will tackle close challengers Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea hotshot Cole Palmer broke a 23-year-old club goalscoring record set by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the Blues' shock 2-1 Premier League defeat to West London derby rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Julen Lopetegui's West Ham United beat Southampton 1-0 away from home on Thursday afternoon and spoiled Saints manager Ivan Juric's first game in charge of the club. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest have shot back into third place in the Premier League table thanks to Nuno Espirito Santo masterminding a 1-0 win over former club Tottenham Hotspur. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Andoni Iraola's Champions League hopefuls Bournemouth were held to a 0-0 draw away from home by Crystal Palace on Boxing Day at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Rodrigo Muniz scored a last-gasp winner as Fulham sensationally came from behind to defeat West London rivals Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to arrest their underwhelming Primeira Liga results before Christmas, Estoril Praia and Moreirense clash at Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota on Saturday, keen to notch important victories in the gameweek 16 encounter. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Birmingham's Boxing Day clash with Burton had to be temporarily suspended due to a medical emergency at St Andrew's. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Kevin De Bruyne certainly wasn't in the festive spirit after walking down the tunnel immediately after Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw against Everton. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Jose Mourinho reportedly wants Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford at Fenerbahce, while Paris Saint-Germain will not sign the 27-year-old. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Erling Haaland missed a second-half penalty as Manchester City's Premier League plight continued with a 1-1 draw at home to a dogged Everton unit at the Etihad Stadium. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Primeira Liga title contenders Porto could climb to first place on Saturday when they host relegation-threatened Boavista at Estadio do Dragao in gameweek 16. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Goalkeepers tend to be a little crazy and Jordan Pickford is no different. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea and Fulham have announced their teams for the West London derby at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are paying increased attention to Atalanta BC midfielder Ederson ahead of a potential summer move to Old Trafford. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal pair Gabriel Jesus and David Raya could both write new chapters of Gunners history when Mikel Arteta's men host Ipswich Town in Friday's Premier League encounter. 26 December 2024 talksport.com Christmas may have come and gone, but Man City' boss Pep Guardiola - and his players - are hoping for presents in the form of new signings. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to finish a successful year with a streak of five straight Serie A wins, Inter Milan will visit Cagliari on Saturday, as both sides play their final fixture of 2024. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are supposedly all prepared to go head-to-head for the services of Club Brugge defender Maxim De Cuyper in the January window. 26 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says that he loves the club but that the future is uncertain ahead of his side's clash against Leicester City at Anfield on Boxing Day in the Premier League.