Ralf Rangnick was the Manchester United manager when he had an ‘footballing epiphany’ as a player-manager at FC Viktoria Backnang, sixth division in Germany.
Following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the 63 year-old will become interim manager at Old Trafford.
The Norwegian gaffer was then fired after a 4-1 defeat to Watford, newly promoted.
Michael Carrick was the assistant manager and oversaw Tuesday night’s 2-0 win by the Red Devils over Villarreal at the Champions League.
Despite reports that Mauricio Pochettino, the boss of PSG, was to assume the reins at United, United In a statement, it was confirmedThey wanted to appoint an interim manger until the end.
(Image: Bongarts/Getty Images)
It appears that they have found their man. Ralf Rangnick will be announced by the Red Devils on a temporary deal that will last until the end.
The German is currently Head of Sports and Development at Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow, but this is not a problem for United.
Rangnick is highly regarded by the world’s top management elite.
Former Leipzig, Schalke and Stuttgart boss is well-known as the initiator of the Gegenpress – the system Jurgen Klipp uses at Liverpool.
Manchester United’s Ralf Rangnick is the right choice? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section.
Speak to The Coaches’ VoiceRangnick described how he came across his ‘football epiphany’.
He said: “I was player-manager at sixth division FC Viktoria Backnang, outside Stuttgart.
“We weren’t very good, but we were extremely lucky – on a cold February day in 1983, we chanced upon a genius.
“Dynamo Kiev, the team of legendary coach Valeriy Lobanovskyi (below), were staying in a nearby training centre and needed easy opposition for a friendly.
(Image: GETTY)
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“A few minutes in, when the ball had gone out for a throw-in, I had to stop and count their players. Something was wrong. Did they have 13 or 14 men on the pitch?
“I had played against top teams before – we always lost against them, of course – but they had at least given you the occasional moment of breathing space.
“Kiev were the first team I had ever come up against who systematically pressed the ball.
“That was my football epiphany. “There was a better way to play football.”