The German coach was close to the Rossoneri six years ago. His candidacy, brought by Gazidis, split the club, with Boban and Maldini very against. Let’s look back at those months of high tension…
That Ralf Rangnick has been close to Milan in the past is nothing new. “There have been contacts with the Rossoneri, but nothing concrete”, said Ralf a few years ago. It was April 2020, the world was in the midst of the pandemic and electric cars were still being thought about. Rangnick was the Head of Sport and Development Soccer of the Red Bull group, he defined himself as a “trainager” – half coach, half manager – and he still didn’t know that, a year and a half later, he would get the first real top call of his career with Manchester United. There has always been a particular, almost surreal relationship between him and Milan. Without setting foot in Milan, Rangnick still managed to pulverize the corporate balance, unleashing a sort of internal Wild West: on the one hand Ivan Gazidis, determined to bring him to the bench in place of Stefano Pioli; on the other, the Maldini-Boban duo, against the CEO’s idea. The result was a fuss made up of sparks, barbs, poisonous interviews and dismissals. Rangnick was the Casper who hovered over Milanello. Six years later, his name is back in fashion. This time as head of the sports area.
