New Delhi: When Ralf Rangnick left Manchester United two years ago, no one gave him a chance to succeed as a manager at the highest level of football. Two years after losing their first game, Rangnick’s Austria have now qualified for the knockouts in the UEFA Euro 2024 with back-to-back wins over Poland and Netherlands.
The 65-year-old came to Man United with decent records with VfB Stuttgart and two stints with RB Leipzig. Brought in as an interim coach, he couldn’t deliver the desired result and failed to gain the respect of his players. Iconic Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo even questioned his coaching credentials.
Despite having a rich wisdom in football and having his ideals implemented by teams and football associations across the globe, he was termed a ‘fraud’ by the Man United fans and football experts. Through the disrespectful storm of harsh treatment, Rangnick chose to stay quiet and never reacted to any of the criticism that came his way. He followed the rule of letting his work do most of the talking rather. Austria played one of the most attractive football in the Euro 2024, proving all his unwarranted doubters wrong.
Austria fought hard against an equally determined Netherlands team to win their final game of the Group 3-2. After scoring the goal that secured Austria’s knockout qualification, their captain Marcel Sabitzer lauded Rangnick’s contribution and said, “It feels very good to play in this team and I am really enjoying every day with this team and the staff. I would like to stay here a bit longer.”
It shows how much the former German player is respected in the Austrian setup. Two years of hard work transpired on the field against the Dutch. Back in April of 2022, when Rangnick was appointed as the manager of the national team, the results were mixed. They picked up the pace with some noteworthy performances, including beating Italy and securing draws against Belgium and France before the start of the tournament.
The ‘Father of Gegenpress’
Before the start of this tournament, Austria had won three of the four games it played this year. Sabitzer himself said that the team is now less passive with the ball, and changes have been made. He further noted that the team collectively start to hunt back the ball when they lose it. That Austrian players have set the bar high when it comes to pressing is not a coincidence. Rangnick is known as the ‘Father of Gegenpress’ a style of play that inspired the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
BERLIN, GERMANY – JUNE 25: Ralf Rangnick Coach of Austria and Christoph Baumgartner of Austria celebrate victory after the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Netherlands and Austria at Olympiastadion on June 25, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Christina Pahnke – sampics/Getty Images)
Rangnick’s Austria outshone everyone’s expectations, reaching knockouts at the top of a group that included the Netherlands and France, who were considered the favourites to qualify.
Rangnick’s studious approach to the game has been a differentiator for Austria and an intelligent way of getting the team to give their best effort. The side had been apprehensive about Rangnick’s appointment. Marko Arnautovic has openly questioned the current Austrian coach’s fondness for the pressing game.
Despite offers from Bayern Munich to manage the club, Rangnick has chosen to stay with the Austrian side. After Arnautovic’s penalty that saw them win 3-1 over Poland, the 35-year-old can reckon their haste to judge Rangnick’s calibre. Rangnick has led the Austrian side to 15 wins out of 25 games, compared to Man United’s 11 wins from 29 games.
Austria have now qualified in two consecutive knockouts of the European Championship. They hope to improve their best performance and proceed beyond the best 16. If they do, Rangnick will be one of the persons who has been the one who has created the best mix of talented, experienced and young players.
Austria’s qualification in the Euro 2024 knockouts has helped Ralf Rangnick gain back his reputation as a football wise man. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
