Ralf Rangnick - What makes the Austria coach tick
The football magazine "Kicker" recently published a funny throwback photo from the 1985 Football European Championship training session of VfB Stuttgart's amateurs. A young man with a mustache is sitting at a desk, making notes on a clipboard. Perplexed teammates stand nearby. The man with the clipboard is the young Ralf Rangnick (66). He was studying at the University of Stuttgart for a teaching degree in Sport and English while also training the VfB Stuttgart amateurs.
Almost 40 years later, Ralf Rangnick can make it to the quarterfinals of the EM as Austria's football national team coach in his native German land. Austria has transformed from a secret contender to a favorite with its spectacular, thoughtful football throughout the tournament.
An entry into the quarterfinals would be the greatest achievement for Austria at an EM. And a source of pride for the coach from Backnang near Stuttgart, who rarely got to compete for the big titles despite his reputation as an expert. He often clashed with superiors and left clubs early.
Ralf Rangnick: The (Upper) Football Teacher of Germany
The old picture with the clipboard is typical of Ralf Rangnick and his image as an upper school teacher. Legendary is his appearance on "aktuelles Sportstudio" in December 1998. At the tactic table, Ralf Rangnick explained to the moderator Michael Steinbrecher (58) and all of Germany how the back four and pressing work. Concepts that were foreign to many at the time. The German national team, coached by Berti Vogts (77), had been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup by Croatia.
Since the lesson on "Sportstudio," Ralf Rangnick's image as "Professor" has faded. The Baden-Württemberg native was never a charmer like German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann (36) or the Stuttgart-born Jürgen Klopp (57). He has a university degree in sports science, but was never titled "Professor." Ralf Rangnick comes across more like a savings bank manager, dry and arrogant. Flirting with the media was never his thing.
A fan favorite was Ralf Rangnick never. Despite helping small teams to surprising success. Like SSV Ulm 1846, which he led as an ascender to the top of the 2. Bundesliga. A success that brought him an invitation to "Sportstudio" and then in 1999 the trainer position at his hometown club VfB Stuttgart.
From "Professor" to "Whore of Modern Football"
In 2006, Ralf Rangnick took over the head coach position at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. The village club, backed by the wealthy patron Dietmar Hopp (84), he led from the third to the first league within two years. Later, he achieved the same feat with RB Leipzig, another upstart club. This earned him the title of "Whore of Modern Football" from football romantics. He was now seen as a "Whore of Modern Football," as he was once insulted on a banner from Karlsruher SC fans.
Rangnick was already mocked by eternal "fans" before, when in 2011 he resigned as coach of FC Schalke 04 due to burnout. The two-time father, who separated from his long-term partner in 2018, was a pioneer. He was one of the first athletes and trainers to openly address psychological problems.
Anger with Ronaldo - Peace in Austria?
Rangnick's strained relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo is well known. The Portuguese superstar once criticized Rangnick's tactics during their time together at Manchester United. However, during the EM, Ronaldo publicly praised Rangnick's work with the Austrian team. Could this be a sign of peace between the two?
Ralf Rangnick stepped down as Sport Director of Leipzig in 2019, then became self-employed as a consultant for various clubs. After one and a half years, he surprisingly returned to the bench as a manager, taking over at crisis-hit English traditional club Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo (39) was surprised by the appointment. "This guy isn't even a coach," said the recently returned world star from Real Madrid.
Rangnick has always sought out clubs where he can implement his vision without being hindered by rigid structures. In 2022, he tried this for the first time with a national team. Surprisingly, he became the head coach of the Austrian national team. He knew the country from his time at RB Leipzig's sister club RB Salzburg.
Although Rangnick has fewer opportunities to study his complex system in a national team, his football works surprisingly well. Austria qualified for the EM impressively in a tough group with France and the Netherlands.
Rangnick appears less dogged with the neighbors than in his time in Germany without the burden of his image in his native country. "I am the Austrian team coach with a full heart," Rangnick said just before the EM, rejecting an offer from Bayern Munich. There, he would have likely failed against the established structures.
- Despite his reputation as an expert in football tactics, Ralf Rangnick rarely had the opportunity to compete for major titles in Germany due to clashes with superiors and early departures from clubs.
- In Austria's training sessions for the European Football Championship, Ralf Rangnick's team is utilizing a spectacular and thoughtful style of football, transforming Austria from a secret contender to a favorite.
- The University of Stuttgart is where Ralf Rangnick studied for his teaching degree in Sport and English while also training VfB Stuttgart's amateurs in the 1980s.
- During a 1998 episode of "aktuelles Sportstudio," Ralf Rangnick explained pressing tactics to Michael Steinbrecher and Germany, concepts that were foreign to many at the time.
- The banner read "Whore of Modern Football," which was directed at Ralf Rangnick after he led TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig to promotions in quick succession.
- Cristiano Ronaldo, who once criticized Rangnick's tactics at Manchester United, publicly praised Rangnick's work with Austria during the European Football Championship, calling it a potential sign of peace between the two.
- Despite his strained relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ralf Rangnick has had success in his role as the head coach of Austria's national football team, guiding them to the quarterfinals of the European Football Championship.
