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The long-awaited announcement of Ralf Rangnick as Manchester United's interim manager was made by the club on Monday. The 63-year-old German has signed a six-month contract at United and will take charge immediately after his work visa is sorted out.
Ralf Rangnick, who enjoyed successful stints at Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Schalke and RB Leipzig, was brought in from Russian giants Lokomotiv Moscow. The German tactician will initially oversee Manchester United’s first-team affairs until the end of the season, before moving into a consultancy position.
United had initially hoped to entice Mauricio Pochettino from Paris Saint-Germain. However, that attempt failed and the club then moved quickly to secure an interim head coach. Ralf Rangnick was the front-runner for the job pretty early and a clear favorite from the available candidates.
Rangnick is set to be the brains behind United's next chapter, with his consultancy role letting him mold the club from behind the scenes. Manchester United fans have especially appreciated his appointment and took to social media to discuss it.
Here are some of the best tweets:
Our number one candidate: Manchester United director on Ralf Rangnick
Having announced Rangnick's appointment, Manchester United football director John Murtough has admitted that the legendary tactician was their number one candidate.
"Ralf is one of the most respected coaches and innovators in European football," Murtough was quoted as saying by the BBC. "He was our number one candidate for interim manager, reflecting the invaluable leadership and technical skills he will bring from almost four decades of experience in management and coaching.
"Everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him during the season ahead, and then for a further two years in his advisory role," he added. "Michael Carrick will remain in charge of the first team until Ralf’s work visa is finalised."
