Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick eyed for the Austria national team job
According to Austrian outlet Kurier (h/t Express), Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has emerged as a contender to become the next Austria national team boss, after their previous head coach Franco Foda recently resigned.
The German is currently employed at Old Trafford on an interim basis until the summer, when he is expected to make way for a new permanent manager to be appointed to succeed him. He himself took over the position from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked by the club late last year.
Rangnick is currently tasked with leading the Manchester side to a top-four finish in the Premier League, after Solskjaer was given the boot following a string of poor results that saw the team slip down the league table.
As things stand, Rangnick is expected to take up a consultancy role in the Man United boardroom once his duties as interim manager are extinguished at the end of the campaign, with the current agreement that he will stay in this new position for two more seasons.
Surprise contender for Austria job
Despite this understanding, it is said that the 63-year-old has been eyed as the main man in the Austria dugout for the UEFA Nations League that begins in June after Foda handed in his resignation following the nation’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Das Team sports director Peter Schottel was seen catching a flight from Vienna to Manchester in recent days, with the assumption that his trip is with the intention of opening negotiations with the current United boss.
This unexpected news is sure to come as a shock to the club hierarchy, who themselves are on the hunt for a successor to Rangnick in the summer. However, they expect him to stick around as a consultant for the club, and as yet, it is not known what his job description in this new position entails.
Further, the UEFA Nations League taking place in June would scupper all plans of the club discussing Rangnick’s future plan with the Red Devils, given that the domestic season in England ends only in May. It remains to be seen how serious this interest from Austria in the former RB Leipzig manager is.
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The German enjoys a huge reputation in Austria, where he worked for a couple of years as the Red Bull Salzburg’s sporting director. The incumbent United boss was instrumental in the signing and development of young sensation Erling Haaland amongst other top talents to come out of Salzburg.
Only time will tell whether his becoming a surprise contender for the Austria job will hamper his focus to help his present team to a strong finish by the end of the season. Currently in seventh place, Rangnick will need to dig deep to find a way to secure fourth spot in the remaining weeks of the campaign.
