Rangnick on Saudi Arabia: “I wouldn’t advise anyone to go there”

Football: Rangnick against “moral finger” for Saudi Arabia
Ralf Rangnick sees the football league in Saudi Arabia, which is tempting for many players, in two minds. “I wouldn’t advise anyone to go there,” said the ÖFB team boss on Tuesday in Vienna. He himself could not imagine being a coach in Saudi Arabia. However, one should not harp on the human rights aspect. “I think before we raise the moral index finger, everyone has to ask themselves: what would I do if I were in this position?”

When it comes to human rights, “you have to be careful,” emphasized the German. “Even before the war there were players in Ukraine who followed the call of money to Russia. And there was also China once. You can’t say it’s a democratic country.”

Players could earn “ten or twenty times that” in the Saudi Pro League, Rangnick interjected, citing the example of Mohamed Salah, “who plays for one of the most attractive clubs in the world, in Liverpool”. The Egyptian could soon become the latest in a string of professionals to join Saudi Arabia from top European clubs, according to media reports. He was “far from saying: How can they do that, you shouldn’t do that,” said Rangnick. Especially since many a professional would transfer money from the sums he gets as a footballer to his respective home country and support the people there.

Since no sufficiently lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia for an ÖFB team player was received this summer, Rangnick was not yet in demand as an advisor. The many transfers of Austrian team players within Europe were all good and important. “I don’t see a single player change or transfer that doesn’t point and point in the right direction,” said Rangnick.

“Huge push” for Arnautovic

For Marko Arnautovic, the return to Inter Milan will again be “an enormous push” in the coming weeks and months. “I’m particularly happy for him, just as I’ve gotten to know Marko with us so far.” And he is sure “that he will get enough playing time with the triple burden of Coppa Italia, Serie A and Champions League”.

Konrad Laimer is hoping for enough game practice at Bayern. Right-back, what the neo-Bayer had to play at the weekend after being substituted on was not his favorite task on the pitch, Rangnick said. However, he believes that the ex-Leipziger will prevail in Munich, regardless of the position. “If you also hear what (Bayern coach/note) Thomas Tuchel says, not entirely wrongly, he needs more physique, more biliousness, more aggressiveness, it would be a contradiction in terms, at the same time on Kony Laimer to give up,” he said.

With Marcel Sabitzer “I wouldn’t worry at all,” emphasized Rangnick. The fact that things are not going well at BVB at the moment is not due to the Styrian. “To believe that a player will put everything back on track overnight would also be a misjudgment of the situation.” For him, however, Sabitzer would be better off further up in midfield than he currently plays in Dortmund. “I don’t see him as one of two sixes with us now. We don’t necessarily need him in the national team now. We have other options with Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager or Florian Grillitsch.”