Rangnick to take up Austria manager role

The 63-year-old will join up with Austria at the end of May for their UEFA Nations League games with Croatia, Denmark and France, after the conclusion of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Rangnick has signed a two-year contract with Austria, which will automatically be extended by a further two years should they qualify for the 2024 European Championship in his native Germany.

He will combine the job with his consultancy role at Old Trafford as planned, after Erik ten Hag was announced as United’s new manager last week.

“I will take over as national team manager of Austria at the end of the season but will continue my consultancy with Manchester United,” Rangnick said.

“I’m really looking forward to playing my part in helping United become a real force again.

“It is an honour for me to take on the role of [Austria] manager,” he added.

“The prospect of contesting the European Championships in Germany with a young team hungry for success fills me with great anticipation.”

Gerhard Milletich, President of the Austrian Football Association [ÖFB], said: “We are very pleased that in Ralf Rangnick we have been able to recruit an outstanding expert in international football as team manager. We are all convinced that he is the ideal man and that his vision will advance the national team and the ÖFB.”

This will be Rangnick’s first role in international management, although he was the director of football at Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg between 2012 and 2015.

Ralf performed the equivalent role at RB Leipzig and was Lokomotiv Moscow’s manager of sports and development prior to joining United as interim manager in December 2021.

His managerial CV includes two spells each at Leipzig and Schalke, as well as Bundesliga experience with Hoffenheim, Hannover and Stuttgart.