The Curious Case of Southampton FC

Former Oilers coach Krueger is joining Southampton FC

Southampton have been an interesting team to watch this season. Not just because of their on-the-field success with Mauricio Pochettino, Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert, but also because of their off-the-field front office troubles. In January, chairman Nicola Cortese resigned due to a "irreconcilable rift" with owner Katharina Liebherr due to how the two of them saw the team's development. Now, with Cortese gone, Liebherr has decided to take it upon herself to restructure the management team for the Saints. One of the new personalities to grace Southampton FC is Ralph Krueger.

For the uninitiated, Krueger is the former coach of the Swiss Men's National Hockey Team. Between 1997 and 2010, Krueger led the Swiss men at three Olympic Winter Games (2002, 2006 and 2010) that included a 2-0 victory over Canada in Turin in 2006. Krueger also became coach of the Edmonton Oilers in 2012, before getting unceremoniously sacked less than a year later. Most recently, he was an advisor to the Canadian team that won the gold medal in Sochi. With Liebherr turning to a hockey coach to help with the new management structure, one has to ask how he will fit in.

Well the truth is that no one really knows. According to the BBC, "at this stage, Krueger's exact job description remains unclear but it is understood he has acted as an advisor to Liebherr for some time." What Liebherr likes however is Krueger's experience as a motivational speaker. Additionally, Krueger's work at the highest levels of professional hockey offers a lot of experience (both tangible and intangible) that has the potential to radically change Southampton for the good.

Sport should be a place for an exchange of ideas. You should be constantly be trying to reinvent yourself in order to be consistently competitive at the highest levels. With a move for Krueger, Southampton is showing that they are not scared to think outside the box in a league where winning is everything.