Ralf Rangnick also listened to his heart and gut when deciding against FC Bayern Munich. As coach of the Austrian national football team, he put a lot of time and energy into this task for two years and worked for this starting position, said the 65-year-old. “I did not want to jeopardize that under any circumstances,” stressed Rangnick, who announced his squad for the European Championship in Germany on Tuesday.
At the beginning of May, the former Bundesliga coach did not accept an offer from FC Bayern to succeed Thomas Tuchel despite advanced negotiations and decided to stay in Austria.
Rangnick: “If I had actually wanted to do it”
It was not an easy decision and not an easy time, said Rangnick. “If I had actually wanted to do it from May 1st, I would also have been coach of Bayern Munich. “To actually do both for two and a half months would have been almost impossible,” he emphasized.
Even with all the energy he felt, something would have suffered. “I didn’t want that and that’s why I trusted my gut, listened to my heart and decided to move on and stay here. In my opinion, that was still the right decision,” said Rangnick. The 65-year-old has been national coach in Austria since 2022. His contract with the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) runs until 2025 and would be extended by another year if he manages to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the USA and Mexico.
Alaba should be close to the team
Injured captain David Alaba will not be able to help the Austrian national team at the upcoming European Championship tournament in Germany. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old Real Madrid defensive player wants to travel to Germany with the team, as Rangnick also announced on Tuesday. “That was also his express wish to still be there if at all possible,” said Rangnick about the former Munich player, who was unable to get fit in time after tearing a cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Missing the European Championship injured: David Alaba, here in December during Real Madrid’s game against VillarrealEPA
“Because of his experience and also because of his charisma, his charisma, also the influence he has on the team, even as a non-playing captain, he is of course enormously valuable to us and that’s why I’m glad that it’s actually possible. “Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also agreed. Alaba will be as close to the team as possible, said Rangnick. He should “of course also be included from time to time in considerations that we or I have as team boss.”
There are 29 professionals in the squad for the test matches against Serbia on June 4th and against Switzerland on June 8th, including 13 from the Bundesliga. Marcel Sabitzer from Borussia Dortmund will join the team after the Champions League final on June 1st. Rangnick can take a total of 26 players with him to the European Championships in Germany. The Austrian Football Association’s selection has been in good form in recent months, but is plagued by injury concerns. In addition to Alaba, RB Leipzig’s Xaver Schlager and Sasa Kalajdzic from Eintracht Frankfurt, among others, cannot play at the European Championship.
Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager (Red Bull Salzburg) is not in the squad so far. But there is a chance that he could go with him, said Rangnick. The recently injured defenders Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg) and Maximilian Wöber (Borussia Mönchengladbach) are in the squad and will complete an individual program before the official start of preparation on May 29th in Windischgarsten. The ÖFB team will travel to its EM quarters in Berlin on June 12th. The team will play its opening game against France on June 17th in Düsseldorf. This is followed by the group games against Poland and the Netherlands in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
