Angry speech from Rangnick towards ÖFB: “Don’t take it for a fool”

The ÖFB team boss Before leaving for the Nations League game against Kazakhstan, he took heart and once again spoke out against the ÖFB’s separation from the managing director in front of media representatives and the running camera Bernhard Neuhold out of.

The press event culminated in an unprecedented angry speech Ralf Rangnick which the KURIER reproduces verbatim:

Ralf Rangnick:

Regarding the team, also in my case: I read in a newspaper today that the team boss should finally declare himself. I have no idea what it means. I took Latin as a student, so I already know what declarare means. But I don’t know what that actually meant. It may still be time to calmly clarify a few things. And do so calmly, objectively, but also very clearly.

The contract extension and expansion of competencies – this topic has never been a topic of discussion at any time in the last few months. Not from my side, not at all, nor was it discussed in any way. When I decided on May 1st to stay in Austria for personal, emotional reasons and turn down two other offers, it had 0.0% to do with it. Not at all. It was not a topic of conversation at all between me and anyone from the ÖFB. It wasn’t even promised to me. It was the President who then discussed exactly these two topics in several interviews in Klagenfurt on May 1st. After that, there were no discussions on this topic for five months. Until today. I just want to record this – not because I’m probably disappointed or sad or angry about it – but that’s exactly how it was done.

My participation in the Executive Board meeting ten weeks ago was the express wish of the President and Mr. Walter Pürzl (external advisor, note). The two of them have sincerely asked me to be a participant in this executive board meeting.

Looking back, I wouldn’t do it again. I would much rather not have been there.

“I wouldn’t be team boss for a year”

And something else on the subject of contract extensions in general – in case everyone hasn’t figured out how I personally tick. I was raised that way from a young age, even as a boy – and that’s how I work as a team leader: the principle of performance comes above everything. If we hadn’t qualified for the European Championships, I wouldn’t even be sitting here anymore. I haven’t been the Austrian team leader for a year. And this is completely independent of contract terms or anything else. The same also applies to the World Cup. If we don’t qualify for the World Cup, I’ll no longer be team boss one day later. Completely independent of whether I still have a contract or not. I wanted to make that clear again.

In this context, I would also like to point out Bernhard Neuhold’s personnel – and the team knows what makes us tick. In this area too, it’s not about whether I or we find someone particularly nice or likeable. It’s about ensuring that we have the best possible professional working conditions for the players. And at this point I think I also speak for the team: cutting Bernhard Neuhold overnight without a replacement doesn’t work without damaging the national team. Because he is the first point of contact for all issues we have. I, as the team manager, my coaching staff, and I think I also speak for the players’ council.

This means that if you decide that Bernhard Neuhold is no longer there, then an equivalent or – which only makes sense – an even better replacement must be there for him on the same day. I would just like to make that clear again at this point.

And as a final point: During the Euros, we had the words on the back of our tracksuit written: “We show our faces.” That wasn’t just an advertising stunt or slogan. That’s exactly how I tried to develop the team. And that’s exactly how we act. And that’s exactly how we think too. You can’t just take us for fools and call us stupid. The boys are too smart for that. And we are too smart for that too.

And that’s why I would like to say at this point: We show our faces is a motto for us. That’s exactly how I treat my employees and my players.