Ralf Rangnick has reportedly had a 'secret meeting' with Borussia Dortmund about their vacant manager position, according to Sky Sport Germany's Florian Plettenberg.
Rangnick's credentials
The 66-year-old is currently the manager of the Austrian national team, but his previous managerial experience in German football includes stints at Stuttgart, Schalke, and RB Leipzig.
His last club appointment was at Manchester United in 2021, where he was named as their interim manager following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's departure.
United's disaster under Rangnick
Despite winning three of his first five matches in charge at Old Trafford, Rangnick oversaw a dismal end to the 2021/22 campaign, with a 4-0 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool leading him to compare the changes needed at United to 'an open heart operation'.
They finished sixth at the end of the season with 58 points, the lowest ever tally in their Premier League history.
Rangnick's Austria tenure
Rangnick was due to stay at United within a consultancy role, but this decision was reversed, and he joined Austria in June 2022.
He guided them to Euro 2024, where they reached the last 16, and his contract was subsequently extended through to the 2026 World Cup.
Austria will face Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, and San Marino in their qualification group for the tournament, with the chance to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 if they top the group or progress through the play-offs.
Conclusion
So, will Rangnick take the Dortmund job? Who knows, but one thing's for sure – he's got a lot of experience in the beautiful game, even if his time at United was a bit of a shambles. But who cares about that? Let's just hope he can bring some excitement to the Bundesliga if he does take the job. Football needs more characters like Rangnick, even if they are a bit of a loose cannon at times.
