Southampton Names Rubén Sellés Manager until End of Season

Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Southampton - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - February 18, 2023 Southampton interim manager Rubén Sellés celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Southampton - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - February 18, 2023 Southampton interim manager Rubén Sellés celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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Southampton Names Rubén Sellés Manager until End of Season

Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Southampton - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - February 18, 2023 Southampton interim manager Rubén Sellés celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Southampton - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - February 18, 2023 Southampton interim manager Rubén Sellés celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Southampton hired Rubén Sellés as manager until the end of the Premier League season, the relegation-threatened club said Friday.

The 39-year-old Spaniard led Southampton to a 1-0 win over Chelsea last Saturday in his first league game in charge as caretaker manager after Nathan Jones was fired.

Sellés had publicly advocated for the job, saying last week that he was “as capable of doing that as any other,” amid reports the club had been negotiating with former Leeds manager Jesse Marsch.

Southampton remains in last place ahead of a crucial match at Leeds on Saturday. Leeds is next-to-last and only one point above Southampton.

Sellés, who was expected to hold a pre-match news conference later Friday, had joined Southampton as an assistant to Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Sellés was in charge for an English League Cup game in November after Hassenhuttl was fired. Jones was then appointed but Southampton lost seven of its eight league games under him.



Mbappe Hit 'Rock Bottom' with Missed Penalty at Bilbao

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - December 4, 2024 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe before taking a penalty kick REUTERS/Vincent West/ File Photo
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - December 4, 2024 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe before taking a penalty kick REUTERS/Vincent West/ File Photo
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Mbappe Hit 'Rock Bottom' with Missed Penalty at Bilbao

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - December 4, 2024 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe before taking a penalty kick REUTERS/Vincent West/ File Photo
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid - San Mames, Bilbao, Spain - December 4, 2024 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe before taking a penalty kick REUTERS/Vincent West/ File Photo

Kylian Mbappe hit "rock bottom" with a penalty miss at Athletic Bilbao earlier this month as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings at Real Madrid but the French forward said he used that disappointment to fuel his recent return to form.

Mbappe left Paris St Germain in the close season as the French club's all-time top scorer but his move to Real has been plagued by teething problems, while a hamstring injury and a thigh issue have also hampered his settling-in time.

However, since missing his second penalty in a week in a 2-1 loss at Bilbao Mbappe has scored four goals in all competitions, including the opener in Sunday's 4-2 LaLiga win over Sevilla, according to Reuters.

"I took a lot of positives from the Bilbao game. I hit rock bottom," he told Real Madrid TV. "I missed a penalty and I realised at that moment I have to give my all for this shirt and play with personality."

Mbappe now has 10 goals in 16 league appearances, helping Real end the calendar year second in the table, just a point behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

"I can score a lot more, I know I have a lot more to give. The last few games I've played better," he said.

"I think we now know each other better. I've joined the team and that changed a lot of things. The settling-in period is over, as the coach says. I feel very comfortable in the team and I play better with the others on the pitch."

Real next travel to face Valencia in LaLiga on Jan. 3.