Former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick, 67, has undergone emergency surgery after a routine operation on his ankle went wrong
17:04, 09 Jul 2025
VIENNA, AUSTRIA - MARCH 20, 2025: Head coach Ralf Rangnick of Austria before the UEFA Nations League Play-offs First Leg match between Austria and Serbia at Ernst-Happel-Stadion. (Photo credit should read Branislav Racko / GocherImagery/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Ralf Rangnick has undergone emergency surgery(Image: GocherImagery, Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has been rushed to hospital for emergency surgery following complications from a seemingly routine ankle operation.
The current Austria boss, 67, initially had the surgery in a Salzburg clinic to address wear and tear issues. However, after being released post-op, Rangnick faced complications as the wound became inflamed and infected, leading to his readmission.
Thankfully, medical staff managed to control the infection, and the managerial veteran is reportedly recovering in hospital with expectations of returning home by Friday.
Austrian Football Association's spokesperson Thomas Trukesitz has assured fans, saying: "Ralf Rangnick is doing well. Nobody needs to have any concerns about his health."
The Austrian FA remains optimistic that Rangnick will be available for Austria's upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September, where they'll play against Cyprus and Bosnia-Herzegovina, aiming to maintain their unbeaten record.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 12: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Interim Manager Ralf Rangnick of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground on May 12, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Tom Purslow/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Rangnick managed Manchester United for six months in 2022(Image: Tom Purslow, Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Rangnick, who has previously managed Stuttgart, Schalke, and RB Leipzig, took the reins at United for six months following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal in November 2021.
He was expected to transition into a consultancy role after his interim period but ultimately left the club instead.
Rangnick famously likened the task of reviving the club's fortunes during his tenure at Old Trafford to performing open heart surgery.
He said: "One of the very few good things is that it is crystal clear, it is not that difficult, you don't even need glasses to see what the problems are.
"So now, it's only about how do we solve them, and for me it's clear, it's not enough to do some minor amendments, little issues, here and there, some minor cosmetic things. No, in medicine you would say this is an operation of the open heart.
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"If this happens and everyone has realised that this has to happen and if people want to work together then it makes sense and I believe it doesn't take two or three years to change those things. This can happen within one year."