Milan Transfer Market: Ibrahimovic Wins, Rangnick Fades Away—the Rossoneri Must Start Over from Scratch

No Ralf Rangnick for Milan. According to rumors reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, the German coach has grown tired of waiting for a response from the Rossoneri club to his demands and has decided to focus all his attention on his role as head coach of the Austrian national team, right in the middle of the World Cup.

In recent days, Austrian Football Association officials had expressed great confidence that Rangnick would stay, despite pressure from the Rossoneri: “We want him, and he knows the key points of the renewal offer. He and I know what we can count on from each other because we communicate very openly,” President Proll had said. The facts proved him right.

Rangnick’s demands to the Milan club—which included total carte blanche with full control over the Rossoneri’s technical staff, free from outside interference—did not sit well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, an advisor to Gerry Cardinale. The Rossoneri therefore hesitated to say yes right away, and now the deal has fallen through.

Milan must now consider alternatives, as the new season looms. In terms of coaches, the names of Alvaro Arbeloa and Ruben Amorim have been mentioned in recent days. However, both Matthias Jaissle and Oliver Glasner, who were the top favorites had Rangnick joined, remain in the running.

Glasner, who had already met with Milan’s management in recent weeks during a summit that lasted about six hours, reportedly even has a draft agreement for a two-year contract and has prioritized Milan over other destinations. His attacking style of play, based on pressing and vertical play, represents a radically different philosophy from that of Massimiliano Allegri, the coach who was sacked at the end of a season that culminated in the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.