Ivan Juric out at relegated Southampton for his 2nd firing of the season

LONDON (AP) — Ivan Juric was fired by Southampton on Monday after the last-placed Premier League club was relegated — marking his second sacking of the season.

Simon Rusk was named Southampton's interim manager and will be assisted by Adam Lallana.

In November Juric was also fired by Roma after being in charge of the Italian side for under two months, then hired by Southampton in December to replace Russell Martin. He had signed an 18-month contract with Southampton.

With just 10 points from 31 games, Southampton’s fate was sealed with a 3-1 loss to Tottenham on Sunday.

“We can confirm that we have today reached an agreement with our men’s first team anager, Ivan Juric, to end his spell at the club,” Southampton said in a statement.

“Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation,” the club added. “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.”

Southampton won only one of 14 Premier League matches under Juric and only two overall, with the other victory coming in the FA Cup.

It is the fourth-earliest relegation in the Premier League era, according to the league’s statistician Opta.

Juric, a Croatian, was coaching outside of Italy for the first time. He has also managed Mantova, Crotone, Genoa, Hellas Verona and Torino.

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Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, background left and Jan Bednarek foreground react after Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson, right, scored his side's second goal of the game as he celebrates with teammate James Maddison, during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London, Sunday April 6, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

Southampton manager Ivan Juric looks on at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in London, Sunday April 6, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)