Chelsea Opinion: Ralf Rangnick could well prove to be the perfect long-term managerial solution for the Blues

According to Football London, Chelsea have added RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick to their shortlist of candidates for the managerial role at Stamford Bridge this summer, with reports claiming that current manager Maurizio Sarri is closing in on a return to his homeland with Serie A champions Juventus.

Despite guiding the Blues to a third-place finish in the Premier League and a Europa League triumph, Sarri looks set to end his association with Chelsea, having only made his move to Stamford Bridge from Napoli last summer. (f/t Football London)

Former club-legend and current Derby County manager Frank Lampard is one of the frontrunners to replace Sarri following the Rams’ run to the finals of the EFL Championship Playoffs but Chelsea are also looking at other experienced options in the market, Football London understands.

Chelsea’s hunt for a new manager have led to them identifying RB Leipzig boss and Bundesliga managerial tycoon Ralf Rangnick as a potential candidate for the job. According to claims from German news outlet Bild, the 60-year-old is set to quit Leipzig this summer and a move to England for the first time in his managerial career looks likely to materialize.

This is not the first time, though, that Rangnick has been linked with a move for English football. The 60-year-old was lined up as a replacement for Roy Hodgson at Liverpool back in 2011 and he was also courted by Everton as the successor to Roberto Martinez. (h/t Football London)

Maurizio Sarri is keen to put an end to his time at Chelsea for reasons unknown and it is a real pity that the Italian is ready to quit the job at Stamford Bridge after such a promising campaign. In all honesty, the news involving Sarri’s departure comes at the worst possible time for Chelsea, with the transfer ban looming large and the sale of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid necessitating a squad rebuild.

To put things into perspective, Chelsea hardly have any time to lament Sarri’s departure, and with so many grave issues to be sorted out within a relatively short span of time before the start of the upcoming season, an experienced manager with plenty exposure at the highest level is just what the club needs.

Ralf Rangnick has influenced a generation of managers in Germany and his managerial experience of over three-and-a-half decades, ranging from amateur football to the Champions League should make it a no-brainer for the Blues to snap him up.

The 60-year-old never played professional football at the highest level but his acumen, intelligence and charisma as a manager have led to him being recognised as a highly-revered figure in Europe.

Following the end of an unsuccessful playing career, Rangnick entered into management during the mid-1980’s and spent time at a numbers of non-league clubs before finally earning a role at Stuttgart in 1999. However, he only managed to remain in the hotseat for a couple of seasons at Stuttgart and was sacked following the club’s defeat to Celta Vigo in the UEFA Cup.

Mediocre spells at Schalke and Hannover 96 followed before Rangnick joined Hoffenheim 1899 in the Regionalliga Sud, the fourth tier of German football back in 2006. It was at Hoffenheim that the 60-year-old rose to prominence as a manager, with his achievement of taking the club to the Bundesliga in a space of two seasons following back-to-back promotions considered as a feat of rare charisma and intelligence.

After a brief stint at his former club Schalke, Rangnick took up the role of Sporting Director at both RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, although he ended his association with the Austrian outfit to concentrate fully on the role at Leipzig. He once again proved his worth as an incredible and inspirational manager, stepping in at a crisis period in 2015 and immediately guiding the club to Bundesliga promotion.

Interestingly, Maurizio Sarri and Ralf Rangnick are poles apart when it comes to their individual philosophies. While Sarri believes in a more patient possession-based approach in controlling the game, Rangnick is famous for his high-intensity pressing game in the midfield.

As opposed to Sarri, who favours a more lateral passing game with short exchanges, the German likes his players to take the game by the scruff of the neck and destroy the opposition.

Rangnick’s high-intensity pressing approach has earned him comparisons with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. He is a modern-day detail-oriented manager who knows how to inspire his players and get the best out of them by using holistic methods on the training ground.

Sarri’s imminent departure marks the continuity of Chelsea’s managerial instability and the Blues need to ensure stability at the helm of affairs to build a strong platform for the future.

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Ralf Rangnick is known for his ability to nurture young talents and build a squad in due course of time, meaning that he could prove to be the much-needed long-term managerial solution that has eluded the club for more than a decade.  

Regarded as the catalyst for RB Leipzig’s success, the 60-year-old has been the main mastermind behind the club’s metaphoric rise into one of the superpowers in the Bundesliga, and his arrival at Stamford Bridge might as well mark the beginning of a new era of dominance for the Blues.