Rangnick extends as ÖFB head coach and stays beyond the World Cup

Sporting high and record figures

It had recently been unclear whether Rangnick would stay in Vienna beyond the World Cup at all. Only at the end of May had he met in the federal capital with representatives of the Italian top club AC Milan, who wanted to recruit him as sporting director for a new project. A few days before the first World Cup match, he turned down the Italians and decided in favor of the ÖFB. As early as 2024, he had rejected an offer from FC Bayern Munich.

The ÖFB supervisory board chairman Josef Pröll expressed relief in an association statement: „Ich freue mich sehr, dass wir unseren Fans kurz vor dem Start der Weltmeisterschaft diese großartigen Nachrichten präsentieren können.“ Pröll at the same time acknowledged „dass der ÖFB finanziell nicht mit internationalen Spitzenklubs konkurrieren kann“ – a reference to the salary package that four sponsors made possible.

Sponsors finance new salary

Specifically, UNIQA, Raiffeisen, Sporteo, and IMMOunited together cover just under half of Rangnick's new net salary of two million euros per year. Pröll praised this commitment: „Ihre Unterstützung hat wesentlich dazu beigetragen, dass wir den erfolgreichen Weg gemeinsam fortsetzen können.“ The previous contract would have expired after the World Cup.

Pröll described the extension as „wichtiges Signal am Beginn dieser Weltmeisterschaft für Gemeinsamkeit und für eine klare Perspektive in die Zukunft. Es ist gut für unsere Spieler, es ist gut für unsere Fans, und ich danke Ralf Rangnick nach sehr langen, intensiven, aber vertrauensvollen Gesprächen, dass wir jetzt zu diesem Zeitpunkt eine Einigung finden konnten." Should Austria qualify for Euro 2028 in Great Britain and Ireland, the contract will be extended automatically.

Outlook on the World Cup and possible Euro 2028

With the home streak, the team has also set a record: 14 unbeaten consecutive home matches represent the best mark in ÖFB history. In the World Cup qualifying group, Rangnick's team prevailed over Romania, Cyprus, and San Marino. One bitter note remains the 1:2 defeat against Turkey in Leipzig in the Euro 2024 round of 16, considered the most painful loss under Rangnick.

Rangnick was initially not publicly available for an official statement on the contract extension on Saturday. A press conference with him was scheduled for 13:30 local time (22:30 CEST) at the World Cup camp in Santa Barbara, after this report's editorial deadline. The 67-year-old lives in Salzburg.