Bayern Munich will now have to go to plan D after Ralf Rangnick rejected a chance to join the club. The German giants have been on the search for a new manager ever since they announced in February that Thomas Tuchel would leave at the end of the current campaign. Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann were both offered the job. Yet, the duo, like Rangnick, opted to resist joining the Bavarian side.
Rangnick will now remain with the Austrian national team and lead the squad into the 2024 Euros in Germany. “I am the Austrian team boss with all my heart,” the coach stated on Tuesday. “I really enjoy this task and am determined to successfully continue on our chosen path.”
Austria is playing a difficult group at Euro 2024 with France, the Netherlands and Poland.
“I would like to expressly emphasize that this is not a rejection of Bayern, but rather a decision for my team and our common goals. Our full concentration is on the European Championships. We will do everything we can to get as far as possible!”
While Rangnick claims that he has not “rejected” Bayern, it certainly seems to be the case. Club brass wanted the coach to join the team, but Rangnick reportedly wanted certain conditions to be met. This involved having a significant say in the team’s transfers. Bayern executives, however, reportedly take nearly full control of such business. As a result, Rangnick will remain in his current role with Austria.
Rangnick rejects Bayern, Tuchel U-turn unlikely
Rangnick’s decision throws yet another curveball to Bayern. Nevertheless, the club’s fan base will be relatively happy with the news. Fans of the club recently created a petition for Tuchel to remain in his current role. The protest, called “We want Juppel (Thomas Tuchel) and not Rangnick” has over 18,700 signatures at the moment.
While a large chunk of the fanbase wants to keep hold of Tuchel, a potential U-turn seems fairly unlikely. Barcelona also recently revealed that head coach Xavi would be departing the Spanish side at the end of the season. However, the manager has since reversed his position and will now remain with Barca for the 2024/25 campaign.
The Tuchel situation is a bit different though. Unlike Barca and Xavi, Bayern brass has publicly criticized their coach in recent weeks. Honorary Bayern president Uli Hoeness recently lambasted the team’s coach for his apparent inability to develop players. The executive also claimed that Tuchel does not create a positive environment for the young players in the squad. It is safe to say that Tuchel did not appreciate the remarks.
Hoeness relative may soon become latest coach linked with Bayern job
With Alonso, Nagelsmann, and now Rangnick all off of the board, Bayern will have to move on in their search for a new coach. Brighton‘s Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with a potential move to the German side practically ever since February. Although the Italian is capable, Bayern brass overlooked making an official move for him.
The snub could very well be down to Brighton’s drop in form over the last few months. The Seagulls have only managed to win two Premier League games since early February.
Along with De Zerbi, Bayern could turn their attention to Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness. The former midfielder has done an exceptional job with the fellow Bundesliga club and is the nephew of the aforementioned Bayern executive. Nevertheless, the coach recently extended his contract with Stuttgart in March. Hoeness fielded questions about the Bayern job on Thursday but claimed that “nothing has changed” on his end.
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