SPORT Republic chairman Dragan Solak has reiterated his position that club charity Saints Foundation remains “hugely important".

Club chairman Henrik Kraft also moved to confirm that the charity’s operations will be unaffected this season despite relegation from the Premier League.

Saints Foundation aims to support people in need in Southampton’s communities with health, education, equality, employability and pathway projects.

Solak, who made a sizeable donation to the foundation at their 2022 charity dinner and also donated his directors’ box for disadvantaged children to enjoy during the season, discussed the club’s charity in an interview with the Daily Echo.

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“I think it’s hugely important, we believe that the club is community and a club without community doesn’t mean anything,” the Serbian businessman said.

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“The people who love the club and support the club are coming to the games and they are the blood flow of the club. We connect back with the Saints Foundation and we have great plans for the future of the foundation.”

Solak added: “We have to be a little bit focussed now on the football but the more success you have on the pitch, the easier it is to achieve your goals as well. I think we believe the foundation is a great thing.

“For me, I took this box and I was super happy to receive photos of the kids enjoying the box at the games, I was really happy that they could enjoy the games with the best food and drinks – but hopefully they were not giving them my wine!

“The happy faces for me are absolutely why we work and why we do what we do, it’s hugely important to continue to support it and we hope that the building of a bigger and more successful football club will lead to a bigger Saints Foundation too.”