Southampton announce Ruben Selles as Ralph Hasenhuttl's No 2
By
Dan Sheldon
10 June 2022Updated 15:03 BST
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Ruben Selles has joined Southampton as Ralph Hasenhuttl's new assistant manager.
Selles was Hasenhuttl's first choice to become his new No 2 with the 38-year-old coming in after the departures of Dave Watson, Kelvin Davis and Craig Fleming.
The Athletic understands Selles met Hasenhuttl in person before signing his deal.
Selles said on joining Southampton: “It’s exciting for me to work in one of the top teams in the Premier League, to work in the best league in the world in an amazing environment in Southampton, with the crowd in St Mary’s, with a big manager like Ralph, with a lot of good players, and to have in front of you the best teams and the best players in the world, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Selles was most recently employed as Copenhagen's assistant manager, where he helped the Danish club win their first league title in three years and qualify for the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League.
He previously worked as a youth coach at Valencia and Villarreal.
The process to employ Selles was led by director of football operations Matt Crocker and chief executive Martin Semmens.
More coaching appointments are likely to follow Selles as Southampton continue their revamp to the coaching team this summer.
Elsewhere, experienced shot-stopper Willy Caballero — who arrived at the club last December — has been offered a new contract, while talks remain ongoing with long-term servant Shane Long.
(Photo: Getty Images)
What will Selles bring to Saints?
When Southampton decided to sack Craig Fleming, Dave Watson and Kelvin Davis — three members of Hasenhuttl’s coaching staff — last month, it was not done on a whim.
The club’s hierarchy were not impressed with how last season fizzled out — winning only one of their final 12 games — when it had promised so much.
Watson, Fleming and Davis all being axed in one fell swoop was not a knee-jerk reaction to that dismal end to 2021-22.
It formed part of a wider review and was just one of the many considerations given to how the club move forward under a new ownership group, and about creating the best possible environment to bring success.
Not since Danny Rohl left three years ago has Hasenhuttl had a legitimate
assistant, with Richard Kitzbichler, Rohl’s de facto replacement, acting as more of an analyst.
Hasenhuttl needs someone with a fresh set of eyes, a different voice and a strong personality, someone who will not be afraid to disagree with him over tactics, team selection and everything else in between.