Gerry Cardinale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are weighing up the pros and cons of hiring Ralf Rangnick as the new technical director of AC Milan.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, they call Rangnick ‘der Professor’ in his homeland. He has been a director, coach, co-ordinator and consultant in his career, but regardless of the role he is a man who carries an entire system with him.
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The German demands carte blanche on everything. From the number of collaborators (not a small number) to the certainty of a rather broad decision-making scope: he was already asking for full powers six years ago, and he wants it now too.
The one-man show
Rangnick sets a high bar because he starts from a very simple consideration: those who seek him out most often need to rebuild, restart or at least create a solid foundation.
His calling card in managerial terms is the excellent work he did within the Red Bull galaxy, as head of the sporting division that includes RB Leipzig (promoted from the fourth tier to the Champions League) and Red Bull Salzburg.
It’s enough to observe his career path to understand the character: with him, if necessary, heads roll and at the same time talent develops. Over the years, Red Bull-branded football has become a role model for all those who lack the turnover, revenue and financial strength to build teams.
His vision is the fruit of method and dedication, which reached such a maniacal level that it put Ralf’s own health in jeopardy. In 2011, in the throes of burnout , he left Schalke: too much stress, too much responsibility. He returned to the field after a 10-month break.
Since then, on Mondays (whenever he can) he disconnects from everything, often turning off his cell phone. A total and all-encompassing approach to his profession reminiscent of Arrigo Sacchi, of whom Rangnick has always been a great admirer.
Rangnick is not a narcissist, though. He wants to be at the centre of the project to feel at one with the club, he wants his vision of football to win. He has no problem taking on the dual role of coach and sporting director, as he has done throughout his career, to further guide his own vision.
There are, however, some obvious risks. The first: relying on one man who tends to centralise everything that can be centralised is putting your eggs in one basket. If it works, you’ll hit the jackpot, otherwise you’ll have to start from scratch.
Another issue Rangnick is the coach of Austria, so he’ll be busy with the World Cup soon. It feels like an obvious point of conflict that the man entrusted with rebuilding everything cannot dedicate himself to it until late July. It means wasting vital time.
The third risk: what might his relationship with Ibrahimovic be like, speaking of egocentric people? Six years ago, when Zlatan was still playing, there was a rather blunt exchange between the two. “I don’t know him,” the Swede said when asked about Ralf’s possible arrival.
A month later, Ralf replied: “In place of Milan, I wouldn’t have bet on Ibrahimovic.” If the two truly do move under the same roof, more sparks could fly.
Ralf Rangnick maybe a one man show to those who don’t understand the role of a technical director.
What Ralf Rangnick is asking from Milan is what is defined for his position. The youth project was a failure and our primavera team got relegated.
Therefore, Ibra friend Kroviski must go. The senior project was a failure too. Because Furlani, Tare and Moncada were all making decisions on the transfer market that wasn’t in alignment with what Allegri wanted.
Ralf Rangnick is laying the right foundation from the youth level to the senior level that will help make Milan a sustainable club and a club positioned to win in the future.
He helped Man United as well!!!😅😅😅
You see what he did to our f*cked up national team, do you?
Pros: he comes with the full package. With him you’ll have a SD, a scout, a coach and even a youth program built around the same principles to get players/develop players that will play a certain type of football that many here want to us to see play.
Cons: he seems a bit overrated and him never attracting big clubs (minus Manchester United but they were like a bag of sh!t then) and never actually turning teams into titles winners worries me a bit. And if he fails, that means the entire structure has to be dismantled yet again.
Damn.
Lots of baggage
Bayern also approached him and were keen on having him, but he turned them down because he wanted full control.
I don’t he is overrated at all, but that’s my opinion.
Really can’t see it happening if Ibra doesn’t want it
as soon as I see photo from Gerry and Ibra like they are reinventing football I’m immediatly struck with diarrhea and can’t read the article…I guess I will never find out the pros and cons of hiring der professor
Honestly id take him at this point. He’d at the very least bring a sense of a plan, and stability to the club that it DESPERATELY needs. And a name like his being attached will almost immediately make the project more attractive than just having cardinale and ibras dumbahh faces attached, cuz Ralf actually would bring a feeling of seriousness and actual planning. If its just ibra and gerry, nobody of worth is gonna say yes
Yep. Ralf is respected within the game. I assume he would have a longterm plan and that’s what’s needed.
He fired the previous SD because one man show
Now he evaluates another one man show?
Is that how it’s been done, milan?
please go to the second half of the table…
No he didn’t. It should be obvious why all previous directors were fired, do you really need a reminder?
Who is Milan that does the evaluation? The Milan management is a failure. And they are evaluating candidates? They are not fit to be managing my toilet.
I don’t really value him as much as most people seem to do. Atalanta is doing the same in Italy, for the past 10ish years. People that have been working there would be a better option for an Italian club if they wanted to join Milan.