Why Manchester United Hired 'The Godfather Of German Coaching'
The Lead
Wondery
3.9 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 2 December 2021
⏱️ 22 minutes
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Summary
Manchester United turned some heads last week when it announced that Ralf Rangnick, an influential German coach and sporting director, will serve as its interim manager until the end of the season. Today, The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein tells us about the man known as 'The Godfather of German coaching,' how he changed the definition of what a soccer coach could be in his native country, and why Manchester United believes he is the right man for the job. But will Rangnick’s hands-on, high-pressure approach mesh with United’s roster of international superstars, including 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo?
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Transcript
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| 0:07.0 | Hi there, Wondry listeners. Hannah and Sruti here from TrueCram Podcast Redhanded. |
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| 0:40.0 | Go listen to Redhanded right now on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:46.0 | Last week, Manchester United named its next head coach. And it's a name that a lot of soccer fans were probably not familiar with. |
| 1:00.0 | Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Ralph Rannick as interim manager until the end of the season. |
| 1:10.0 | Today, the Athletics Rafael Honigstein tells us about the man known as the Godfather of German coaching, |
| 1:17.0 | his remarkable rise through the sport and how he changed the definition of what a soccer coach could be. |
| 1:22.0 | He broke the mold. It's thanks to him largely that coaching has become seen as a skill in its own right independent of your career as an actor footballer. |
| 1:33.0 | Plus, whether or not Wrongnecks intense approach will fit with United's roster of superstars, including 30-securial Cristiano Ronaldo. |
| 1:42.0 | From Wondery and the Athletic, I'm Anders Kelto. It's Thursday, December 2nd, and this is The Lead. |
| 1:51.0 | Rafael Honigstein, welcome back to The Lead. Thanks for having me again. |
| 1:55.0 | So, Rafael, it seems like just about every top soccer club these days, or at least every top English soccer club has a German manager. |
| 2:03.0 | Chelsea has Thomas Tuchel, Liverpool, has Yerkin Club, and now Manchester United has Ralph Rannick. |
| 2:08.0 | So my first question is, do you ever think you should have gone into coaching instead of journalism? |
| 2:12.0 | It's never too late. Never too late. You can still become coach at 63 from in United. |
| 2:17.0 | But there is often a bandwagon effect in sports, especially with football. |
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