Celtic’s mid-season review on the future of the management team is still outstanding. Supporters have heard how the club are planning a restructure and overhaul in the summer but as the clock ticks on, the window of opportunity on The Champions League qualifiers closes.
Earlier today, Frank Lampard was sacked as manager of Chelsea Football Club. A team which the majority of his playing career was spent with, amassing an enormous amount of silverware, goals and accolades as the best English midfielder of his generation. However, these past glories weren’t enough to save Lampard as he suffered the same fate as so many managers before him.
In the wake of this breaking news, it emerged that German Ralf Rangnick had rejected the chance to become interim boss at Stamford Bridge with a new manager lined up behind him. The Athletic claimed that Rangnick rejected the Chelsea offer due to the length of contract suggesting that he is eager for a return to football.
Rangnick has already been in the Celtic Park dugouts, his RB Leipzig team were beaten 2-1 in 2018 by Brendan Rodgers’ side in The Europa League. Rangnick has experience operating as a Director of Football running RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig’s recruitment and growth in Austria and Germany.
As a manger, Rangnick enjoyed success with Leipzig and has been widely tipped to make a return to club football. Celtic should make the 62-year-old an offer he can’t refuse to take over in either a managerial capacity or Director of Football.
Speaking back in 2018, Rangnick was in awe of Celtic Park, praising the Celtic supporters.
“It’s so special here because the supporters – they are passionate and always back the team.”
“The scenery here is very special – not only for the home team, but also for the guest team, The atmosphere is very motivating. The atmosphere in Celtic Park the is so extraordinary because the fans support their team unconditionally.”
If Rangnick was able to come in as Director of Football, he would be able to aid a new Head Coach, someone like Damien Duff, John Kennedy or Shaun Maloney. A youthful name in coaching that can gain exposure to one of the top minds as he looks to help build Celtic back better.
Rangnick possesses the tools and contacts to help build Celtic into a European force. The football-based success model is used around Europe instead of the current, overpaid CEO model that Celtic are currently locked into. The supporters deserve a big name and it would be more palatable if there were a more inexperienced coach appointed to work under the new man in the dugout.
Rangnick may not be interested in any role within the club. However, he is just one example of the type of high calibre coaches that are available should the club cast their net wider than the current prerequisite of ‘knowing the city’. There are likely to be a number of football managers, coaches and Directors of Football that would jump at the opportunity to work for a club with Celtic’s stature, fanbase and opportunities. They need to ask and offer autonomy as well as eating into the mountain of cash that the club have.