Continue his adventure on the Austria bench, or go to Milan as technical director? These are days of reflection for Ralf Rangnick, who has long had a contract extension offer from the Austrian Football Association until 2028 in his hands. However, the German is very attracted by the possibility of taking charge of the Rossoneri’s technical department. To move to San Siro, he has laid down some very specific conditions, without which he has no intention of accepting Milan’s proposal: full powers, complete freedom in decision-making, maximum autonomy, and no interference.
The pressure from the Austrian Football Association has been very strong for months because they have great faith in Rangnick’s work. He has revitalised the national team, winning their Euro 2024 group ahead of France and bringing Austria back to the World Cup. Four sponsors of the Austrian Football Association (Raiffeisen, IMMOUnited, Uniqa and Sporteo) also consider the German’s stay an absolute priority and have therefore put forward €1 million to double the national team coach’s salary. However, some officials once again angered Rangnick because they wanted to include a clause in the agreement allowing the contract to be terminated if the team failed to get past the World Cup group stage. The Association has now met all of the German’s demands and hopes he will agree to extend his deal until 2028:
"Now the ball is in Ralf Rangnick’s court. We have sent a clear signal: we want him and his coaching staff on the agreed terms," said Austrian Football Association president Josef Pröll.
Rangnick's doubts about the AC Milan offer
Complicating matters for Austria has been Milan’s involvement. The club met Rangnick in Vienna and offered him exactly what he wants: responsibility for the club’s technical area and the opportunity to become a leading figure within the organisation. But, as happened with the Austrian Football Association, the German wants guarantees that Milan’s promises are not empty words, and therefore demands clear commitments from Gerry Cardinale, the club’s owner, writes Milan News.
According to the Austrian newspaper Wiener Zeitung, this is precisely where Rangnick’s doubts arise. He is not entirely convinced that all of Milan’s promises will be kept, nor that he can place complete trust in a club surrounded by numerous influential figures. The Vienna newspaper does not name anyone, but it is easy to imagine that the reference is to Zlatan Ibrahimović, RedBird’s Senior Advisor.
