The German sporting director talks about his philosophy – ‘like a jigsaw with 500 pieces’ – his time at Sussex University and what has gone wrong at Manchester United
In the end Ralf Rangnick did not get the
England job in 2016 – he was, he says, down to the last two, alongside Sam Allardyce – but you can still see his influence on the English game. Jürgen Klopp uses tactics grounded in Rangnick’s fast transitions and his
Liverpool team have four players who owe their big break in Europe to Rangnick: Joël Matip (at Schalke), Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim), Naby Keïta and Sadio Mané (RB Salzburg).
Rangnick is a byword for tactical influence and talent development in
Germany, even taking some credit for the national team’s 2014
World Cup success. This season’s Bundesliga has been nicknamed the “Rangnickliga”, as five teams in the top six positions have head coaches who learned their craft under him.