Editing Southampton F.C. (section)

===Return to the Premier League and relegation (2012–2023)===
Southampton returned to the Premier League for season 2012–13 initially under Nigel Adkins. Substantial sums were spent to strengthen the playing squad, but early in the season, Adkins was replaced by Argentine coach [[Mauricio Pochettino]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/new-first-team-manager-appointed-606668.aspx |title=New First Team Manager Appointed |publisher=Southampton F.C. |date=18 January 2013 |access-date=18 January 2013 |archive-date=20 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120234651/http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/new-first-team-manager-appointed-606668.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21079956 |title=Adkins sacked as Southampton boss |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=18 January 2013 |access-date=18 January 2013 }}</ref> Southampton finished the season in 14th place, and [[2013–14 Premier League|next season]] in eighth.

[[File:Ronald Koeman Southampton v West Ham August 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Ronald Koeman]] (front left) as manager]]
At the end of the [[2013–14 Southampton F.C. season|2013–14 season]], Pochettino departed the club for Tottenham. The club subsequently appointed [[Ronald Koeman]] as his replacement on a three-year contract, and made several high-profile sales over the summer.<ref name="lambert">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27629474 |title=Rickie Lambert completes transfer to Liverpool from Southampton |last=Smith |first=Ben |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=2 June 2014 |access-date=2 June 2014 }}</ref><ref name="lallana">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27647888 |title=Adam Lallana: Liverpool sign Southampton captain for £25m |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=1 July 2014 |access-date=1 July 2014 }}</ref><ref name="lovren">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28492306 |title=Liverpool sign Dejan Lovren from Southampton for £20m |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=27 July 2014 |access-date=27 July 2014 }}</ref><ref name="shaw">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28048866 |title=Luke Shaw: Man Utd sign Southampton defender for £27m |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=27 June 2014 |access-date=27 June 2014 }}</ref><ref name="chambers">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28497920 |title=Calum Chambers: Arsenal complete £16m signing of Southampton defender |work=[[BBC Sport]] |date=28 July 2014 |access-date=28 July 2014 }}</ref> In the final game of the [[2014–15 Southampton F.C. season|2014–15 season]], a 6–1 victory against [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]], [[Sadio Mané]] scored three goals in the space of 176 seconds, the fastest hat-trick in the history of the Premier League.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32764627|title=Sadio Mane: Southampton winger's hat-trick is 'best moment'|newspaper=BBC Sport|date=16 May 2015}}</ref> The club finished seventh, then their highest ever Premier League rank,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29580147|title=Southampton 8–0 Sunderland|author=Reddy, Luke|work=BBC Sport}}</ref><ref name="premierleague.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/league-table.html|title=Barclays Premier League table, current & previous standings|work=premierleague.com|access-date=24 May 2015|archive-date=16 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516065708/http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/league-table.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> therefore qualifying for the [[2015–16 UEFA Europa League]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southampton vs. Vitesse – Football Match Report – July 30, 2015 – ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/report/_/gameId/430593 |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> After defeating [[SBV Vitesse|Vitesse]], the Saints were eliminated in the play-off by [[FC Midtjylland|Midtjylland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/clubs/52923--southampton/|title=UEFA Europa League – Southampton|work=[[UEFA]]}}</ref> The following season, Southampton once again set new records for the club at the end of the season, finishing in sixth place. They once again qualified for the Europa League, although this time immediately entered the group stages, as opposed to the play-off rounds.

In June 2016, Koeman left Southampton to join Everton and [[Claude Puel]] replaced him on a three-year contract. The club were eliminated in the group stage of the Europa League by away goals to [[Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C.]], despite having a superior goal difference. However, they were more successful in the [[2016–17 EFL Cup|EFL Cup]], where they lost 3–2 in the [[2017 EFL Cup final|final]] to Manchester United, where [[Manolo Gabbiadini]] was denied a hat-trick, courtesy of an incorrect offside decision<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hackett |first=Keith |date=2017-02-26 |title=League Cup final offside error will haunt Stuart Burt – and possibly Southampton – for eternity |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/02/26/league-cup-final-offside-error-will-haunt-stuart-burt-possibly/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>.The club ended the 2016–17 season in eighth. During the summer, Puel was replaced as manager by Argentine coach [[Mauricio Pellegrino]], previously of [[Deportivo Alavés|Alavés]]. 

Southampton became involved in the [[United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal]] in December 2016 when several former Southampton teenage trainees told the BBC about inappropriate incidents in the 1980s involving a former football coach who was later revealed to be Bob Higgins.<ref name="Vardy-1Dec2016">{{cite news |last1=Vardy |first1=Emma |date=1 December 2016 |title=Ex-Southampton footballers describe abuse at club |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-38128841 |access-date=2 December 2016 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref name="BBC-QPR-06Dec2016">{{cite news |date=6 December 2016 |title=Ex-QPR employee Chris Gieler named in abuse inquiry |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38221613 |access-date=6 December 2016 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref name="BBC-Soton-03Dec2016">{{cite news |date=3 December 2016 |title=Southampton 'abuser' still working in football |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38191644 |access-date=3 December 2016 |work=BBC News |agency=BBC}}</ref><ref name="Morris-04Dec2016">{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Steven |date=4 December 2016 |title=Southampton FC trainer named in connection with abuse allegations |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/04/southampton-fc-trainer-named-in-connection-with-abuse-allegations |access-date=4 December 2016 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="BBCHiggins-04Dec2016">{{cite news |title=Ex-Southampton football coach accused of abuse 'not vetted' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38200993 |access-date=5 December 2016 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref name="Evans-04Dec2016">{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Martin |date=4 December 2016 |title=Southampton coach sacked over child abuse allegations is still working in football |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/southampton-coach-sacked-child-abuse-allegations-still-working/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/southampton-coach-sacked-child-abuse-allegations-still-working/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=5 December 2016 |work=Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Higgins was dismissed by Southampton in 1989 after the allegations were made against him,<ref name="Morris-04Dec2016" /> and in 1991 he was charged with six counts of indecent assault against young boys he had been coaching; at the trial at [[Southampton Crown Court]] he was acquitted on the direction of the judge<ref name="BBCHiggins-04Dec2016" /> when the prosecution offered no evidence.<ref name="Morris-04Dec2016" /><ref name="Evans-04Dec2016" /> Higgins then worked as a youth coach at [[Peterborough United F.C.|Peterborough United]] in the mid-1990s,<ref name="Fisher-05Dec2016">{{cite news |last1=Fisher |first1=Paul |date=5 December 2016 |title=Ex-Peterborough United youth manager Bob Higgins named by police in football abuse investigation |url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/crime/ex-peterborough-united-youth-manager-bob-higgins-named-by-police-in-football-abuse-investigation-1-7713396 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220101354/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/crime/ex-peterborough-united-youth-manager-bob-higgins-named-by-police-in-football-abuse-investigation-1-7713396 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |access-date=5 December 2016 |work=Peterborough Telegraph}}</ref><ref name="James/Morris-05Dec2016">{{cite news |last1=James |first1=Stuart |last2=Morris |first2=Steven |date=5 December 2016 |title=Football League warned all its clubs about Bob Higgins in 1989 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/05/football-league-warned-all-its-clubs-about-bob-higgins-in-1989 |access-date=5 December 2016 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> and was investigated as part of a 1997 Channel 4 ''Dispatches'' investigation.<ref name="James/Morris-05Dec2016" /> After two further court cases, Higgins was found guilty in 2019 of indecent assault, at [[Bournemouth Crown Court]],<ref name="HantsConst">{{cite news |date=5 July 2017 |title=Man charged in connection with non-recent child abuse offences |url=https://www.hampshire.police.uk/news/general/man-charged-connection-non-recent-child-abuse-offences/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818215414/https://www.hampshire.police.uk/news/general/man-charged-connection-non-recent-child-abuse-offences/ |archive-date=18 August 2017 |access-date=5 July 2017 |work=Hampshire Constabulary}}</ref><ref name="Taylor-5Jul2017">{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Daniel |date=5 July 2017 |title=Bob Higgins, former Southampton coach, charged with 65 counts of child sexual abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jul/05/bob-higgins-charged-child-sexual-abuse-southampton-coach |access-date=5 July 2017 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=23 July 2018 |title=Bob Higgins trial: Ex-football coach guilty of sex assault charge |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-44688435 |access-date=23 July 2018 |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=26 March 2019 |title=Football coach Bob Higgins 'abused trainees' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-47669272 |access-date=26 March 2019 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="Morris-23May2019">{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Steven |date=23 May 2019 |title=Football coach Bob Higgins guilty of 45 counts of indecent assault |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/23/football-coach-bob-higgins-guilty-of-45-counts-of-indecent-assault |access-date=23 May 2019 |work=Guardian}}</ref> and sentenced to 24 years in prison.<ref name="BBC-12Jun2019">{{cite news |date=12 June 2019 |title=Football coach Bob Higgins jailed for24 years for abusing trainees |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-48608863 |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

In mid-season, the club sold Dutch defender [[Virgil van Dijk]] to Liverpool for an estimated £75 million, Southampton's record sale and a world record for his position.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Luke|title=Liverpool to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in world-record £75m January transfer|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/liverpool-sign-virgil-van-dijk-transfer-southampton-70m-75m-fee-agreed-done-deal-a8130566.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/liverpool-sign-virgil-van-dijk-transfer-southampton-70m-75m-fee-agreed-done-deal-a8130566.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2018|work=The Independent|date=27 December 2017}}</ref> Pellegrino was sacked in March 2018 with the team one point above the relegation zone,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/11287680/southampton-sack-manager-mauricio-pellegrino|title=Southampton sack manager Mauricio Pellegrino|work=Sky Sports|access-date=12 March 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43364304|work=[[BBC Sport]]|title=Mauricio Pellegrino: Southampton sack manager with eight games left of season|date=12 March 2018|access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref> and his replacement, former player, [[Mark Hughes]], guided the club to a 17th-place finish, avoiding relegation on the last day of the season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44020180|title=Southampton 0–1 Manchester City|date=13 May 2018|work=BBC Sport|access-date=1 June 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44020155|title=Swansea City 1–2 Stoke City|date=13 May 2018|work=BBC Sport|access-date=1 June 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43353971|title=Swansea City 0–1 Southampton|date=8 May 2018|work=BBC Sport|access-date=1 June 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> Hughes signed a new contract at the end of the season but a poor start to the following season led to him being sacked in December with the team in 18th place.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mark Hughes: Southampton sack manager after eight months in charge |work=BBC Sport |date=3 December 2018 |access-date=3 December 2018 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46091577}}</ref> He was replaced with former [[RB Leipzig]] boss [[Ralph Hasenhüttl]], who steered the club away from relegation to finish 16th.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ralph Hasenhuttl: Southampton name former RB Leipzig boss as new manager |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46437457 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=5 December 2018 |date=5 December 2018}}</ref>

In August 2017, Southampton Football Club confirmed that the Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng had completed a multimillion-pound takeover of the club, acquiring an 80% stake for around £210m after successfully passing the relevant checks, including the Premier League's owners and directors test. The deal followed more than 12 months of talks between the Gao family and the south coast club. The investment was made personally by Gao and his daughter Nelly as opposed to being sanctioned through Lander Sports, as originally mooted. Hangzhou-based Lander is the family's business arm, which develops, constructs and manages sports sites.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/aug/14/southampton-sell-80-stake-to-chinese-businessman-gao-jisheng|title=Southampton sell 80% stake to Chinese businessman Gao Jisheng|date=14 August 2017|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

Southampton suffered their worst ever defeat on 25 October 2019, losing [[Southampton F.C. 0–9 Leicester City F.C.|9–0]] to [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] at home, this would later be replicated on [[Manchester United F.C. 9-0 Southampton F.C.|2 February 2021 against Manchester United at Old Trafford]] in the following campaign, albeit under different circumstances. It is tied with [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]]'s defeat by [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] in 1995 as the biggest defeat since the Premier League's inception.<ref name="BBC Sts v Leic">{{cite web |last1=Sutcliffe |first1=Steve |title=Southampton 0 Leicester City 9 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50092694 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=26 October 2019 |date=25 October 2019}}</ref> Following universal backlash toward the team's performance, the players and coaching staff refused their wages from the match and instead donated them to the Saints Foundation.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/oct/28/southampton-players-donate-wages-to-charity-after-leicester-mauling |title = Southampton players donate wages to charity after 9–0 mauling by Leicester|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 28 October 2019}}</ref> On 9 April 2020, Southampton became the first Premier League club to defer players' salaries,<ref>{{cite news|title=Coronavirus: Southampton first Premier League club to announce players to defer salaries|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52228542|date=9 April 2020|work=BBC Sport|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref> during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Despite a poor start that saw them in the relegation zone as late as November, Southampton improved greatly as the season went on, ending the year with a seven-game unbeaten streak to finish 11th in the league. Their final tally of 52 points was the team's highest total since 2015–16.

The club's good run continued in the 2020–21 season with the Saints sitting in third after 13 games.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McNulty|first=Phil|date=24 May 2021|title=Premier League 2020–21: Who impressed and who fell short?|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57143846|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> The team also had a successful run in the FA Cup where they reached the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Leicester City.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McNulty|first1=Phil|date=18 April 2021|title=Leicester City 1–0 Southampton|work=BBC Sport|publisher=|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56725449|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref> In November, Southampton briefly led the Premier League table. However, despite the outstanding start to the season, a mid-season loss of form and an accumulation of injuries which decimated the senior squad ranks, due in part to the unavailability of much of the club's training facilities resulting from the restrictions imposed during the second [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown]] in England. As a consequence of this, Hasenhüttl was forced to field many of the club's youth players in an attempt to fill in the gaps in his senior squad. After an impressive run during the first half of the season, Southampton would eventually finish in 15th place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Standings Premier League 2020–2021 – Football |url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2020-2021/standing.shtml |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Eurosport |language=en}}</ref> In January 2022, Gao sold his 80% stake to [[Sport Republic]], a group financed by Serbian [[Dragan Šolak (Businessman)|Dragan Šolak]] for £100m.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/12508912/southampton-takeover-serbian-born-businessman-dragan-solak-buys-club-in-100m-deal|title=Southampton takeover: Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak buys club in £100m deal|work=Sky Sports}}</ref> Despite most pundits predicting them to be relegated at the start of the season, Southampton finished the 2021–22 season in 15th place for the second consecutive year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Premier League Table, Form Guide & Season Archives |url=https://www.premierleague.com/tables?co=1&se=418&ha=-1 |access-date=28 May 2022 |website=Premier League}}</ref>

In November 2022, it was announced Southampton had parted company with manager Ralph Hasenhüttl after four years,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Club statement: Ralph Hasenhüttl |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2022-11-07/southampton-football-club-part-company-with-ralph-hasenhuttl-statement |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=Southampton FC |date=7 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref> to be replaced by [[Nathan Jones (Welsh footballer)|Nathan Jones]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 November 2022 |title=Nathan Jones appointed manager of Southampton |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2022-11-10/announcement-nathan-jones-appointed-southampton-football-club-manager |access-date=10 November 2022 |website=Southampton FC}}</ref> On 12 February 2023, Jones was sacked following a disappointing run of results during which the Saints lost seven out of eight league matches, leaving them bottom of the Premier League table.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Club statement: Nathan Jones |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2023-02-12/southampton-football-club-nathan-jones-part-company-statement |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Southampton FC |date=12 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-11 |title=Southampton sack Jones reaction before Leeds v Man Utd |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/63890764 |access-date=2023-02-12}}</ref> After having served as caretaker manager in a 1–0 victory over [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], [[Rubén Sellés]], who had joined Southampton as first-team lead coach in June 2022, was announced as Jones's replacement on 24 February on a contract until the end of the [[2022–23 Southampton F.C. season|2022–23 season]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Southampton win heaps misery on Potter's Chelsea |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64607244 |access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sellés joins as First Team Lead Coach |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2022-06-10/announcement-ruben-selles-first-team-lead-coach-southampton-football-club-10-june-2022 |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=Southampton FC |date=10 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sellés appointed to end of season |url=https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2023-02-24/ruben-selles-mens-first-team-manager-announcement |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=Southampton FC |date=24 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Sellés was unable to save the Saints' season, and the team were effectively relegated on 13 May, following a 2–0 home loss to [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]].<ref name="releg">{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/12879067/southampton-relegated-from-the-premier-league-james-ward-prowse-says-he-and-team-mates-will-carry-regrets|title=Southampton relegated from the Premier League|website=Sky Sports|date=13 May 2023|access-date=13 May 2023}}</ref> On 24 May 2023, Southampton confirmed that they would not renew the contract of Sellés when it expired at the end of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=House |first=Alfie |date=24 May 2023 |title=Southampton confirm they will not renew Ruben Selles manager contract |url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/23544114.southampton-confirm-will-not-renew-ruben-selles-manager-contract/ |access-date=24 May 2023 |website=Southern Daily Echo}}</ref>