Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner is “extremely” looking forward to working with Austria’s new national soccer coach Ralf Rangnick.
“In my opinion, he’s the best Austria could get,” said the 22-year-old in an interview with “kicker”: “Because it’s about making a team out of many young players who are already playing at a very high level to build something that is capable of taking part in the World Cup and European Championship and playing a certain role there. We can benefit a lot from him there, including me personally as a footballer and as a person.”
The Austrians had recently missed qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar before Rangnick took over the job as ÖFB team boss. The 63-year-old ex-coach from RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim and most recently Manchester United will be on the sidelines for the first time on Friday in the Nations League game in Croatia.
“I learned from everyone that he is an incredibly good professional who can move and develop a lot,” said Baumgartner: “As an Austrian, I noticed the development in Salzburg. What he made of this club and the RB complex has, that’s sensational.”