According to Sky Sports, Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Ralf Rangnick. The former RB Leipzig and Schalke head coach is being targeted as a potential option for the job of managing director at the club while the Magpies are expected to sack Steve Bruce as head coach ahead of the clash against Tottenham Hotspur, which is set to become their first match under the new ownership of a Saudi backed consortium.
Who Is Ralf Rangnick?
Ralf Rangnick is regarded as one of the most accomplished footballing masterminds in Germany. A native of Backnang, in the district of Baden-Wurttemberg, the 63-year-old is distinguished for his successful coaching spells at RB Salzburg, Schalke and Hoffenheim.
His attractive, counter-attacking brand of football had helped him secure multiple honours in his career, including the DFB Pokal with Schalke in 2010/11 as well as two Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup titles with Salzburg.
Rangnick, though, is primarily known for his management technique rather than his coaching. He was the mastermind behind the phenomenal rise of Red Bull’s footballing brand, having been a member of the corporation since 2012. He had even served as a Global Sports Director for RB football for a year before taking up a contract at Lokomovic Moscow last summer.
In terms of his management, Rangnick is believed to be quite an enforcer and a tough personality. He often gets the job done but can be very stringent about his methods, not expecting any of his peers to object to his decision making.
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Is He A Coaching Replacement For Newcastle United?
It is difficult, nay impossible to imagine Ralf Rangnick in a coaching role at Newcastle United. The 62-year-old had left coaching a long time ago and had only taken care of Leipzig for a short term due to a coaching vacancy that ensued after the exit of Ralph Hasenhuttl, who had to settle for a way out of Leipzig after disagreements with Rangnick.
Most recently, Rangnick created his own agency and took control of Lokomotiv Moscow. He is not a part of the Russian team as a coach or a manager, but rather a consultant, who helps out with certain aspects of marketing, as well as expenditures.
At Newcastle, we can expect the German mastermind to adopt a similar role, primarily helping out with the club’s recruitment policy once they look to kick things into gear under the new ownership. His fiscal adaptability and extensive knowledge about European football makes him the ideal candidate to take on the job and lead Newcastle into the new era.
However, it remains unlikely that Rangnick will join the Magpies in the role of a full-time sporting director, primarily due to his agency, which can afford to split time and make him available only as a consultant for the club.
