Austria coach Ralf Rangnick and non-playing captain David Alaba pleased with their 3-2 Euro 2024 victory over the Netherlands as it secured them top spot in Group D. LEIPZIG – Turkey have felt at home at Euro 2024 because of a huge expat population in Germany, but it is Austria who will be in familiar surroundings for their last-16 clash in Leipzig on July 2. Under the leadership of Ralf Rangnick and his trademark brand of energetic football, Austria have been the revelation of the tournament so far, topping a group that contained giants France and the Netherlands.
After impressive coaching spells at Schalke and Hoffenheim early in his career, Rangnick’s “gegenpressing” style inspired a generation of German coaches, including former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Germany’s current boss Julian Nagelsmann. Rangnick is reaping the rewards of the structures he put in place in building the sporting organisation behind Red Bull’s football empire in Salzburg and then in the German city of Leipzig. Seven of the Austrian players either currently play for Salzburg or Leipzig or have done at some point in their career.
“If you finish first in your group, then that’s a very good achievement...
I had a lot of good and beautiful moments there,” said Laimer, who spent six years of his career with RB Leipzig before moving to Bayern Munich. “Now we have had a little more time and spread out the preparation a little bit more. It’s always good when you have the time to.
