Southampton’s minority shareholder, Katharina Liebherr, recently disclosed the deep connection she shared with Ralph Hasenhuttl that extended beyond the world of football. This bond was evident when Hasenhuttl attended her wedding ceremony. Hasenhuttl, who was dismissed by the Saints last year due to a lackluster season start, has remained unemployed since.
Liebherr, although currently a minority shareholder at Southampton, played a significant role in bringing Hasenhuttl on board in 2018. She admitted to being immediately impressed by Hasenhuttl upon their first meeting, recognizing him as the ideal choice to lead Southampton, thanks to his fervor, passion, and his commitment to developing young players.
Furthermore, Liebherr revealed that her relationship with Hasenhuttl transcended the confines of football. She expressed in an interview with Swiss daily Blick, “When I met him, I knew very quickly: this is our coach. His fire, his passion, how he sees football and how he wanted to use our players, also our youngsters. And that’s sometimes with coaches somehow…I’ve experienced it differently, let’s put it that way. Everything fitted. And from that, a friendship developed that went beyond football.”
Despite Hasenhuttl’s sacking by Southampton, Liebherr expressed her delight that he attended her wedding. She acknowledged that she would have understood if he had declined the invitation due to the circumstances, but she was touched by his decision to attend the ceremony in Zurich, saying, “Yes, it makes me happy. It shows that we did something right, we try to use the people at our club according to their strengths and give them freedom and trust. He didn’t have to come after all that’s happened. He wanted to.”
It remains uncertain which club Hasenhuttl will join next, as he previously managed RB Leipzig in Germany before his stint with Southampton.
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