Football: Ice hockey coach becomes Southampton chief
The 54-year-old, who has never previously worked in football, succeeds Nicola Cortese.
LONDON (AFP) - Premier League club Southampton on Wednesday named Canadian ice hockey guru Ralph Krueger as their new chairman.
The 54-year-old, who has never previously worked in football, succeeds Nicola Cortese, who stepped down in January.
A former ice hockey player and NHL coach, Krueger most recently worked as a consultant to Canada s gold medal-winning ice hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
"I am honoured to take on the role of chairman of Southampton Football Club and the (holding company) group," Krueger said in a statement published on the club website.
"Although there is a solid foundation in place, the club still has tremendous untapped commercial potential.
"We will continue to nurture The Southampton Way by reaching for consistent growth in all departments to build a culture that allows Southampton to remain healthy and sustainable in the future."
Italian banker Cortese left Southampton in January after overseeing the club s resurrection from bankruptcy and the English third tier to the Premier League.
Owner Katharina Liebherr took over from Cortese on a temporary basis when he stepped down, but Krueger will now be responsible for the day-to-day running of the club.
He will be joined at St Mary s by a new director Hans Hofstetter.
