5 world-class managers who admire Ralf Rangnick
German veteran coach Ralf Rangnick has dominated the headlines since being named interim manager of English giants Manchester United a week ago. Despite his well-documented tactical acumen, Rangnick's managerial career is a curious one.
Rangnick is credited with pioneering the famous geggenpressing brand of football. His modest CV does not do justice to his contributions to the advancement of the sport. Geggenpressing has powered some of the most successful club teams in recent years. This includes Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, who have won the last three Champions League titles between them.
Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick's influence has outweighed his own achievements
Rangnick's philosophy has shaped the coaching careers of some of the brightest minds in modern football. However, one can argue that the German coach has never truly managed an elite club himself. The lack of silverware is one of his biggest shortcomings.
Inspired by the Johan Cruyff tree, here’s the Ralf Rangnick tree.
His work at Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig inspired many great coaches like Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel, Jesse Marsch and more. https://t.co/FNsvmVvCmy
Nonetheless, there is no denying Ralf Rangnick's influence on his colleagues. 'The Professor', as he was known back in Germany, has mentored several coaches who have gone on to scale the greatest heights in the sport. We take a look at five world-class coaches who admire Manchester United's latest manager.
#5 Marco Rose (Borussia Dortmund)
Current Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose enjoyed a meteoric rise at Red Bull Salzburg between 2013 and 2019. His growth coincided with Ralf Ragnick's famous reign as the Director of Football for the Red Bull sports group, which includes RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig.
Starting out as Salzburg's U-16 coach in 2013, Marco Rose was made head coach of the first-team in 2017. Rose was an instant success, winning the Austrian Bundesliga in his first season. He also beat fancied Borussia Dortmund on the way to the Europa League semi-finals. He departed for Borussia Monchengladbach in 2019 after remaining unbeaten at home in his two campaigns with RB Salzburg.
Marco Rose's tactics revolve around Rangnick's philosophy of counterpressing high up the pitch. The Dortmund manager described his approach, saying:
"We want to be very active against the ball and sprint a lot. We want to win high balls and have a short way to the goal. We don't want to play wide, but fast, dynamic and actively forward."
#4 Ralph Hasenhuttl (Southampton)
Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton might just be the strangest team in the Premier League. The Saints consistently pass the eye test and play an attractive brand of attacking football while passing out from the back. They've clinched impressive wins over high-profile opposition such as Liverpool and Manchester City over the last 12 months.
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl sinks to his knees at full-time after beating Liverpool! 👏
Pure emotion from the Saints manager! https://t.co/XxOpVIacT8
On the flip side, the Saints have also been on the wrong end of historic 9-0 demolitions on two separate occasions. They seem to be rooted to the bottom half of the Premier League table, thanks to their abysmal luck with injuries and a comical inability to defend. Curiously, Ralph Hasenhuttl made his name while building solid units at unfancied, lower division teams in Germany.
The Austrian, who was a centre-forward in his playing days, adopted a fast, counter-attacking style at RB Leipzig between 2016 and 2018. Hasenhuttl had a terrific debut year with the German side, guiding them to an impressive second-place finish in the Bundesliga.
Despite the team's strong showing, he was rather controversially replaced by another Rangnick disciple in Julian Nagelsmann. Hasenhuttl requested the termination of his contract after being asked to serve as interim and eventually moved to British shores. Despite signs of promise at St Mary's, Southampton have never finished in the top half of the table under the Austrian coach.
Hasenhuttl is known to be an admirer of Jurgen Klopp and Ralf Rangnick, who was Director of Football at Leipzig during the Austrian's reign. Like Rangnick, Hasenhuttl believes football should not only be effective but also entertaining.
“Pressing. Hunting. Be hungry. When you have the ball, find a quick decision, a quick transition to the front. It’s about being emotional, being full of passion. Also, keep the tempo on a high level and don’t slow down the game. That’s what I think people want to see," says Hasenhuttl while describing his approach to the game.