- Ralf Rangnick has had a transformative impact on Austrian football since 2022
- The German coach, 67, recently underwent a routine operation on his ankle
- LISTEN: Was Paul Pogba doomed from the start at Man United? The team discuss his long-awaited return to football on the back of his free transfer to Monaco
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Ralf Rangnick has reportedly been rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after an initial operation led to complications.
Rangnick, 67, spent a difficult six months in interim charge of Man United between November 2021 and May 2022 after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been sacked.
The German has since been Austria manager and led the country to the last-16 stage at Euro 2024 when they topped a group that included France, the Netherlands and Poland.
However, last month the 67-year-old was forced to undergo a routine operation on his ankle amid general wear and tear, according to The Sun.
The surgery didn’t raise any alarm and Rangnick returned to his home near Salzburg afterwards.
Unfortunately, the report adds that the wound that was left by the operation subsequently inflamed, meaning Rangnick was forced to return to hospital to undergo another procedure.
Ralf Rangnick has reportedly been rushed back to hospital after an initial operation went wrong
Rangnick has been Austria manager since 2022 and has had a big impact on the national team
The 67-year-old previously endured a difficult six-month interim stint in charge of Man United
The former United boss, who scrapped plans to stay on as a consultant after his managerial reign, remains in hospital but is expected to be discharged later this week.
Despite the health concerns for Rangnick, Thomas Trukesitz, an Austrian FA Spokesperson, urged fans not to be alarmed by the situation.
‘Ralf Rangnick is doing well,’ he said. ‘Nobody needs to have any concerns about his health.’
Rangnick’s next responsibilities with Austria come in September when they face Cyprus and Bosnia & Herzegovina in World Cup qualifiers.
His side have won two matches from two so far on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
Rangnick, who has been widely credited with transforming Austrian football after 21 wins in 37 games, will be desperate to continue his progress as his side look to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Meanwhile, during his tenure at United, the Red Devils finished sixth with 58 points, which was at the time their lowest points tally in Premier League history.
Rangnick won 11 and lost eight of his 29 matches in charge and was regularly critical of various aspects of the club.
Rangnick has 21 wins in 37 games with Austria and is desperate to lead them to the World Cup
Rangnick was regularly critical of various aspects of United and didn’t stay on as a consultant
This included the German once saying the club needed ‘open-heart surgery’ to recover from their slump, while he also claimed they were ‘six years behind’ Liverpool after a 4-0 thrashing by the Reds.
At the end of his spell, the 67-year-old, who has also managed Stuttgart, Hannover 96, Schalke, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, expressed his frustration at how things had gone.
‘In the end, I’m not happy with the results, especially in the past four or five weeks,’ said Rangnick, whose side also crashed out in the fourth round of the FA Cup to Championship side Middlesbrough and were knocked out of the Champions League in the last-16 stage by Atletico Madrid.
‘I’m not completely happy with those six months. I would have expected to qualify for the Champions League; that was the goal we had.
‘We lost quite a lot of important players. From the team that won against West Ham [on 22 January], for the next game three players were injured. Other teams brought in players in the window.
‘We had good moments, we conceded fewer goals but in the last few weeks performances have not been as good as they should have been. In general, we have lacked consistency.’
