Manchester United’s Rangnick takes over as Austria coach Austria FA

VIENNA: Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick has been appointed Austria’s national team coach for a two-year contract tasked with qualifying for Euro 2024, the country’s football association president Gerhard Milletich said on Friday.

Rangnick, who will make way for Erik ten Hag at United at the end of the season, has also indicated that he will remain as an adviser at the Premier League club.

“It is an honor for me to take over the position of head coach. I look forward to working with a young successful team and taking part in the European Championship (2024) in Germany,” said Rangnick.

The contract with the 63-year-old will initially run for two years, but should the team qualify for Euro 2024, it will be automatically extended for another two years for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. according to the FA.

Austria reached the last 16 Euro 2020 but have not qualified for a World Cup since 1998.

The FA added that they expected him to take over at the end of May after the Premier League season has ended.

“We are delighted to have won an outstanding expert on international football with Ralf Rangnick as our team chief,” Milletich told a news conference.

“We are convinced that he is the ideal man and with his vision he will advance the OEFB (Austrian FA) and the national team. Ralf Rangnick is a name many thought was not possible. A coach of this caliber is a signal not just for the national team, but for the whole FA.”

The German, who took over at United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s resignation in November but had a contract to work as a consultant for two years when he took the job, will be in charge of Austria ahead of their Nations League matches in June.

Austria kicks off the Nations League matches against Croatia on June 3. They also play Denmark and France.

Rangnick has coached Hoffenheim, Schalke 04 and Leipzig in the Bundesliga and was also sports director at Salzburg from 2012-15.