SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — 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.
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