Finally Manchester United has signed their interim manager after a week filled with negotiations and interviews. Ralf Rangnick has been appointed as the new interim manager of the club till the remainder of the season.
Rangnick was one of five applicants for the job that were interviewed, and he will leave his position as head of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow to take over at Old Trafford.
The 63-year-old former head coach of Schalke and RB Leipzig is a respected figure in modern football and is credited with influencing coaching tactics in Germany, having been one of the earliest discoverers of the fearsome pressing style subsequently popularised by Jurgen Klopp.
Rangnick will sign a six-month term with the Red Devils before returning for a second two-year contract as a consultant, according to The Athletic.
The agreement is dependent on Lokomotiv Moscow agreeing to release the German from his contract, but Manchester United does not expect this to cause an issue.
Rangnick will not be allowed to take charge of United’s match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend owing to work permit issues, but he might take charge of the Red Devils’ match against Arsenal on Thursday.
United will hope that the appointment of the veteran Rangnick can help the team stabilize in the short term, following a run of five defeats in seven Premier League games, with the Red Devils presently in eighth place after last weekend’s 4-1 setback at Watford.
After the likes of Luis Enrique, Julen Lopetegui, and Erik ten Hag distanced themselves from the vacancy in Manchester United, the club’s fans will be overwhelmed to read this news.
Rangnick is largely considered as the architect of German football’s modern-day tactical approach, and he is the forefather of the gegenpressing style that has influenced the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, and Julian Nagelsmann.
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He led Schalke to the Champions League semi-finals in 2011 before joining RB Leipzig as both manager and sporting director, where he signed players such as Joshua Kimmich, Naby Keita, Dayot Upamecano, and Timo Werner.
This has been an incredible move by the club who can now have an experienced and tactical strong manager to lead the team till the end of the season and then sign a permanent manager.
Not to forget, Rangnick will still be at the club as he will be taking the consultancy role and will have power over the club’s decisions.
