Manchester United appoint Ralf Rangnick as interim manager

The appointment follows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking as head coach

Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the season.

The decision follows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking as head coach earlier this month.

Solskjaer was dismissed on Sunday 21 November, a day after his side fell to a 4-1 defeat at Watford in the Premier League, leaving assistant Michael Carrick to oversee the 2-0 win at Villarreal in the Champions League, as well as the 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea on Sunday.

Rangnick will now take charge at Old Trafford while the club hierarchy seeks a permanent successor to Solskjaer before continuing in a consultancy role.

“I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a successful season for the club,” he said upon the announcement.

“The squad is full of talent and has a great balance of youth and experience. All my efforts for the next six months will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team.

“Beyond that, I look forward to supporting the club’s longer-term goals on a consultancy basis.”

Football director John Murtough added: “Ralf is one of the most respected coaches and innovators in European football. He was our number one candidate for interim manager, reflecting the invaluable leadership and technical skills he will bring from almost four decades of experience in management and coaching.

“Everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him during the season ahead, and then for a further two years in his advisory role.”

The German leaves his role as Lokomotiv Moscow’s head of sports and development to join United, who sit eighth in the Premier League and are into the Champions League knockout rounds following their victory over Villarreal.

Rangnick, 63, has previously coached a number of German clubs, including Schalke, Hoffenheim, Stuttgart, Hannover, and most recently RB Leipzig.

Prior to his two spells as Leipzig coach between 2015 and 2019, Rangnick served as director of football at the club as well as RB Salzburg.

Rangnick is widely credited as one of the key figures to shape the tactic of Gegenpressing, with Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann among the coaches to have drawn influence from him.

Carrick, who will remain alongside the rest of the current coaching staff, could stay in temporary charge for the visit of Arsenal on Thursday while Rangnick’s work visa is finalised.