Ralf Rangnick

Ralf Rangnick (born 29 June 1958 in Backnang) is a former German football player and current manager, who is managing Schalke 04.

Early career

Rangnick began his playing career at VfB Stuttgart, but was unable to progress any further than their amateur side, playing in the lower leagues. This was to prove his level, as he played at a string of small lowly clubs, including a stint at English non-league side Southwick while studying English on a guest year at the University of Sussex in Brighton.

His first taste of coaching came in his playing days at SSV Ulm 1846 in the early 1980s, when he was entrusted to coach the youth side. He stepped up to becoming player/coach at his hometown club Viktoria Backnang, then TSV Lippoldsweiler. After hanging up his boots, he became the coach of SC Korb in 1988, remaining there two seasons before returning to his original club VfB Stuttgart to now manage the amateur ranks he had once played in.

Rangnick stayed at VfB Stuttgart, as both amateur and youth coach, through the early 1990s, before moving to Regionalliga South side SSV Reutlingen in 1995. He took the club to a 4th place finish in his first season, and they began the following campaign brightly too, with the club in the midst of the promotion push by Christmas. Rangnick would not complete the season with the team though, as he moved to his former club SSV Ulm 1846 in January 1997.

SSV Ulm 1846 were also positioned in the Regionalliga South, and although...
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