FC Bayern is working flat out to sign Ralf Rangnick. The 65-year-old is set to take over from Thomas Tuchel at the German record champions in the summer. But is the „football professor“ the right coach for FCB? We have four good reasons that speak against Rangnick.
The search for a coach at FC Bayern is coming to an end. According to several media reports, the Munich club would ideally like to appoint a new head coach in the course of this week. All indications are that this will be Ralf Rangnick.
After weeks of discussions, rumours, speculation and setbacks, Bayern have decided in favour of the 65-year-old. A solution that harbours more dangers than opportunities.
1. Rangnick football does not suit Bayern
One thing is clear: After the cancellations of Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick is a C-solution for FC Bayern. Those responsible in Munich cannot deny this fact in view of the weeks-long search for a coach.
To be fair, however, it must be emphasised at this point that any name would be labelled a „C solution“ at this stage. In Rangnick’s case, however, the drop is relatively high. The reason: Rangnick’s football does not match Bayern’s DNA. Munich have always stood for dominant possession football and have celebrated great success with it in recent years.
Rangnick, on the other hand, stands for „Red Bull“ football: high pressing with aggressive counter-pressing. The focus is not on possession, but on switching play. This style of play regularly causes problems against deep-lying opponents, especially in the Bundesliga. This phenomenon was already evident in Leipzig under Rangnick.
A personnel plus tactical reorganisation in the summer would be a mammoth task, both for Rangnick and for the Bayern bosses.
2. Too much potential for conflict with Hoeneß & Co.
It’s an open secret that Rangnick is a man of power and demands the necessary influence. According to reports, Rangnick also wants to call the shots at FC Bayern when it comes to player transfers. Rangnick does not see himself as a classic coach who is „only“ responsible for the sporting events on the pitch, but also off it.
According to rumours, Rangnick is not prepared to accept public advice and tips from the management. The top management around Dreesen, Hainer & Co. are said to stay out of sporting matters.
Even if Rangnick appears to enjoy the support of those in charge in Munich, there is still great potential for conflict with so many alpha figures at the club.
Nevertheless, Hoeneß and Rangnick seem to have settled their differences from the past. The honorary president of Munich once labelled him a „know-it-all“ who was incapable of managing a club successfully in the long term and would be sacked in the second year at the latest.
3. Bayern loses valuable time in pre-season preparations
A (timely) Rangnick appointment would initially ensure calm, which would be particularly advantageous in view of the upcoming Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. At the same time, it would make Munich’s summer planning more difficult. Rangnick will only be available after the European Football Championship. In other words: In the coming weeks, his focus will be on the ÖFB selection. This would mean that FCB would lose valuable time in its pre-season preparations.
However, Rangnick is playing a major role in the squad reorganisation. Not only are the extensions of Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies and Leroy Sané closely linked to this; Rangnick’s thoughts and tactical considerations also play a decisive role with regard to departures and arrivals.
Unlike Nagelsmann, Rangnick is not familiar with the FCB squad in detail. There are no relationships with the players. You also need sufficient time for this.
4. Lack of success and experience with top European clubs
At the age of 65, Rangnick undoubtedly falls into the category of „experienced football coaches“. He has coached numerous clubs, particularly in the Bundesliga, including Stuttgart, Schalke, Hoffenheim and Leipzig.
After around 25 years as a coach in the professional game, the number of successes at the top level is nevertheless manageable. His greatest success came in the 2010s when he won the DFB Cup with Schalke (2010/11) and the double (2014 and 2015) with Red Bull Salzburg.
Rangnick has yet to win an international title. In the Champions League, he has just 13 games as head coach. Remarkable: in 2010/11, he made it to the semi-finals of the premier class with S04.
Rangnick also has hardly any experience at top European clubs. In the 2021/22 season, he helped out as interim coach at Manchester United. However, with a points average of 1.45 after 29 games, he did not leave a lasting impression in England.
It is also worth noting that Rangnick worked as a sports manager and official for many years before joining Manchester. He worked for the RB Group as Global Sports Director in Brazil, New York and Leipzig. This was followed by a four-month intermezzo as Managing Director at Lokomotiv Moscow.
