Exclusive: Johannes Spors denied work permit in huge Southampton blow
Yesterday at 05:15 AM
Johannes Spors has been denied a work permit in a huge blow to Southampton, sources have told Football Insider.
The Premier League club had reached a full agreement with the German to become their new technical director.
But the completion of the deal with Spors was dependent on him securing a work permit.
Football Insider has learned that an independent Home Office panel rejected Southampton’s application after a hearing on Friday.
Southampton deal for new technical director rocked
Southampton did not respond when contacted by Football Insider for comment.
Spors was the Saints’ choice to fill the role that was vacated by Jason Wilcox, after his move to Man United.
The news comes in a time of huge upheaval at Southampton, after the club released a statement on 14 January with news that chairman Henrik Kraft had stepped down, being replaced by majority shareholder Dragan Solak.
This season has not gone the way owner Solak wanted it to, with the club looking set for relegation after just one season back in the top-flight.
The South Coast side sit rock-bottom of the Premier League table, with just one win and six points from 21 games.
As Keith Wyness reported exclusively to Football Insider, Solak’s decision to appoint himself as chairman shows the Serbian is planning for life in the Championship next year.
Spors was previously CEO of Italian side Genoa, and currently the global sports director of 777 group who have stakes in Melbourne Victory, Genoa, Standard Liege, Red Star and Vasco da Gama.
The move to bring in Spors would have given some stability to the struggling Premier League side, but with news of his rejected work permit, the leadership of Southampton will now have to look for a new person to fill the technical director role.
The January transfer window has already been a busy one for the Saints, having signed Joachim Kayi Sanda from Valenciennes, Welington from Sao Paolo and Rento Takaoka from Japanese side Nissho Gakuen.
In other news, a key Southampton player has been linked with a move to relegation-rivals Everton.
For more Southampton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
The post Exclusive: Johannes Spors denied work permit in huge Southampton blow appeared first on Football Insider.
