Former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has disclosed that he turned down the Chelsea job in 2021 because he did not want to be perceived as a 'lame duck' interim coach. The Austrian, now head coach of the Austria national team, revealed that talks with Chelsea broke down over the length of the contract offered.
Chelsea's managerial search continues
Chelsea are once again on the lookout for a new manager following the departure of Liam Rosenior last week. The Blues decided to part ways with the manager after a 3-0 defeat against Brighton. Calum McFarlane has taken interim charge until the end of the season, and the search for a permanent successor is now underway. Several names have already been linked with the role, including Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
The constant turnover in the managerial hotseat at Stamford Bridge has become a recurring theme in recent years. Former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has previously revealed that he turned down the role when approached following Frank Lampard's exit in January 2021.
Rangnick's reasoning
Speaking to The Times just a month after the approach, Rangnick explained his decision. 'I said, “I would love to come and work with you, but I cannot do it for four months,” he said. “I am not an interim coach.” To the media and players you would be the “four-month manager”, a lame duck, from day one.'
Following his rejection, Chelsea appointed Thomas Tuchel, who went on to win the Champions League just months later. Rangnick praised Tuchel, saying: 'Thomas is tactically on a very sophisticated level. [His assistant] Zsolt Low was my player and assistant coach at Leipzig and plays a vital role in his staff. And you can see from the way he interacts with players, Thomas also has great leadership skills. I can only congratulate Thomas and Chelsea for the choice.'
Tuchel's successors
Tuchel left in 2022 and was replaced by Graham Potter. Since then, Chelsea have had Lampard (interim), Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and Rosenior as managers. Less than a year after turning down Chelsea, Rangnick took up the interim role at Manchester United. In his 29 games in charge, United won eleven, drew nine, and lost nine.
The 67-year-old is now the manager of the Austria national team and will lead the nation in this summer's World Cup, where they will face Jordan, Argentina, and Algeria in Group J.
