A few weeks ago, Ralf Rangnick had to ward off a frontal attack at the ÖFB. His future as a national coach seemed questionable. Now he has created facts.
Ralf Rangnick can finally do what he prefers to do. In Seefeld, the Austrian national coach worked with his players and prepared the team for their opening game in the World Cup qualification. On Saturday (8:45 p.m.) the ÖFB team welcomes Romania in the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna.
The 2026 Mission starts for Rangnick. For the last time the Alpine state was there for the last time 27 years ago at a World Cup finals in France. By participating in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Rangnick now wants to fulfill a lifelong dream. The only focus should now be on. In the past few weeks and months, however, this has not always been the case.
After the missed promotion in the Nations League, the 66-year-old had to experience turbulent times with numerous faults at the Austrian Association. For very complex reasons, it was publicly questioned in the meantime whether he would still sit on the bench as a team boss during the World Cup qualification. In the meantime, “Sport Bild” has even been speculated as his possible successor over the Ralph Hasenhüttl, which has now been dismissed by VfL Wolfsburg.
The successes and all the euphoria that he was able to ignite with the European Championship participation last summer no longer seemed to play a role. In the middle of a power struggle that has been raging in the association for years, Rangnick suddenly came under criticism.
Interim President Wolfgang Bartosch told the news magazine “Profile” that Rangnick was “very difficult” and “unpredictable”. His vice Johann Gartner criticized Rangnick’s supposedly calculable playing style and lack of ideas. The sporting success concealed a lot, but the mood turned. Anyone who knows Rangnick knows that the experienced football teacher cannot normally leave such a violent criticism.
Some Austrian leaders around captain and ex-Bavar player David Alaba feared not without reason that Rangnick could therefore throw up at the ÖFB, and demonstratively jumped to his side. “We have no understanding if our team boss is attacked from our own ranks,” said Alaba. His national coach is not difficult at all, the ex-Bayern professional continued. “If this is difficult, I hope that the new president will also be difficult.”
Rangnick had these frontal attacks bounced on him only uncommented because both of them are no longer in office. According to T-Online information, both were even surprised by the force, which developed their obviously somewhat careless words in public. At least Bartosch has now apologized to Rangnick.
On May 18, Josef Pröll was now elected the new ÖFB president-a former politician. With it, professional structures and working conditions should finally be created again – at least that’s how hope. Otherwise, it could be difficult or impossible to convince Rangnick to lead the 2026 Mission for longer.
For now, however, this was obviously successful, as Rangnick at least indirectly confirmed. “If you had to worry, I wouldn’t be here anymore,” he said in an interview with the “Salzburger Nachrichten”. “For me it is clear that I will definitely do the World Cup qualification and hopefully the World Cup for Austria. And we will see everything that comes afterwards.” So everything again, as the Austrians say for “great”?
Rangnick is not exactly lacking at other attractive options. This also undoubtedly played a role in the unrest around him in the past few months at the ÖFB. Almost a year ago, FC Bayern absolutely wanted to sign him as the successor for the released head coach Thomas Tuchel. Rangnick thought about Lange, but said to the Munich at the last moment – also because he did not want to let the Austrian national team down immediately before the European Championship.