Ralf Rangnick open to Germany job

In an interview with Sky Sports Germany, Ralf Rangnick revealed that he would be open to accepting a potential offer to be the next German national team manager after Joachim Low steps down at the conclusion of this summer’s European Championships.

When Low first made his announcement on Tuesday, Rangnick was one of several names immediately linked with the job alongside Bayern Munich’s Hansi Flick and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp. Klopp subsequently removed himself from the equation by saying he will not accept that job prior to his contract at Liverpool expiring.

Over the summer, Rangnick stepped down as the head of sport and development for Red Bull GmbH after a failed move to take on a position with AC Milan. Oliver Mintzlaff was promoted to Red Bull’s head of soccer after Rangnick’s departure. The coaching pedigree of Rangnick speaks for itself, having managed RB Leipzig, Schalke, Hannover 96, TSG Hoffenheim, and VfB Stuttgart among a handful of other clubs. In the interview with Sky, Rangnick said of potentially getting the Die Mannschaft offer, “basically I’m open to everything. First and foremost it’s a matter of timing. At the moment, I’m free. The post is one that no one in Germany is indifferent to.”

Didi Hamann expressed concern that there would be the potential for power struggles amongst the DFB if Rangnick was to be given the job, in particular with Oliver Bierhoff, who recently engaged in a series of verbal jousts with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Rangnick does have a reputation for wanting full control of the teams he manages, which can create a higher susceptibility for disagreements with front offices and board members of clubs. He personally doesn’t see that as any sort of roadblock or issue, though. “I could imagine working together with Oliver Bierhoff would be very fruitful. It would be helpful to have someone who already knows the customs. At the DFB in many areas of working and thinking, it’s going in the right direction,” he explained.

Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Bayern and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus weighed in and said that he feels Rangnick is the strongest candidate for the position. “For me, Ralf Rangnick is THE coach who could support Bierhoff and an ideal man for the DFB,” he affirmed.