Man United confirm Ralf Rangnick arrival as new interim manager until end of season

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

The German has signed a six-month contract in the position and also agreed a further two years beyond that in a consultancy role.

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

United parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier this month following a poor run of league results, which included comprehensive defeats to rivals Man City and Liverpool and culminated in a 4-1 thrashing by Watford after the international break.

They immediately announced their intention to delay appointing a permanent succesor until the end of the season, with former United midfielder Michael Carrick taking caretaker charge while the search for an interim boss was conducted.

News of Rangnick’s imminent arrival emerged last week and Carrick was forced to deny that the 63-year-old had a say in team selection for yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea after Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from the starting XI.

It has not yet known whether Rangnick will be in the dugout for the first time for Thursday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal at Old Trafford, with his presence dependent on the attainment of a visa in time. Carrick will continue to take charge of the team until that process is completed.

Rangnick is renowned for his pivotal role in the development of ‘gegenpressing’ and is seen as a major influence on the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel. He shot to prominence as a head coach with success at Schalke and Hoffenheim, before spearheading RB Leipzig’s rise in both managerial and director roles. He has most recently been working as Lokomotiv Moscow’s head of sports and development but has left that post to move to Old Trafford.

“Ralf is one of the most respected coaches and innovators in European football,” said United football director John Murtough. “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.”

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