The appointment of Ralf Rangnick to Milan is more or less a done deal with the German set to join the Rossoneri for next season. He is set to sign a three-year deal worth €15M with an option to extend for a further year.
Ralf Rangnick agrees to become new AC Milan manager starting from next season. Confirmed and here we go ?⚫️ #Milan #AcMilan #Leipzig https://t.co/xDs50mNaSg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 7, 2020
Milan will be hoping that their tenth managerial appointment since Massimiliano Allegri in 2014 will be the one to finally help the former European champions to make strides to regaining their status once again as one of the darling sides of Italian football.
Rangnick, 62, is one of the most respected names in German football management and a manager who is recognized for his tactical innovations and the impact he has made on German football as a whole.
His appointment with the Rossoneri will be regarded as the biggest challenge of his professional experience and the most high profile club he has managed in a career that has lasted over two decades. The German tactician started his managerial path from the lower leagues in Germany but got his big break in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart, the club he represented in his playing days.
From there, he went on to manage Hannover 96, Schalke 04, and famously RB Leipzig. He is currently staffed at MLS side New York Red Bulls in as the Club’s Head of International Relations and Scouting having not managed another club since leaving Leipzig in 2019.
Ralf Rangnick is a likable character who has a strong personality and is a man who is demanding of himself and his players. A disciplinarian who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and a perfectionist who loves to be on top of everything at all times.
“Rangnick is a perfectionist, he thinks about all the little details. He is very ambitious and always tries to improve and does everything for us, so we can give everything on the pitch. This really includes everything both on and off the pitch,” Rangnick’s former player at RB Leipzig Yussuf Poulsen said.
“I have known Rangnick for several years now. I have to say that I have met many people in football, but I have never met someone who is in love with football like him. He really works so hard that everything is perfect. Not only on the field but everything. He does everything to ensure that the players are at the top, you just have to focus on your football,” said another one of his former players Kevin Kampl.
What Would Rangnick Offer to Milan?
Ralf Rangnick’s tactical know-how is sure to be one of the factors Milan wanted him as he plays a fast-paced, high tempo direct counter-attacking and pressing style which is in tune with the modern-day footballing fashion – easy on the eye and highly attractive.
In his last job as a manager at Leipzig, he employed a 4-4-2 system built for direct and vertical football, counter-pressing, and counter-attacking which requires great discipline and application. That comes with intense practice but when done right is highly effective. The German side has been thriving with that style of football to date.
There has already been talk of an €80M transfer budget to be used to bring in at Milan predominantly young and talented players which was allegedly agreed in a meeting between some Rossoneri officials and Rangnick himself in Austria.
Names like Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic, Red Bull Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai, Florentino Luis of Benfica and PSV Eindhoven’s Denzel Dumfries have all been in the news. Elsewhere, the likes of Dayot Upamecano, Dani Olmo, and Mario Gotze have appeared in the background as well.
At 62, there may be some uncertainty as to how long he will stay at the club but there is a chance he could be seen as a stepping stone to turning Milan’s fortunes around – which obviously is the immediate goal at the moment.
Ralf Rangnick is a huge character at a huge club and could be just what Milan needs to get back to the top. Hopefully for the Rossoneri but for the whole world of Italian football – which need Milan back in full shape for competitivity’s sake – the tenth time could be the charm…
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Feature Photo: Wikipedia via https://flickr.com/photo/48861782@N05/5984302636