The managerial merry. go. round is spinning with a distinctly European rhythm this summer, and the latest whispers from the continent have a distinct...
The managerial merry. go. round is spinning with a distinctly European rhythm this summer, and the latest whispers from the continent have a distinct red and black flavour. GoalZaza can confirm that Oliver Glasner has given his blessing to a potential move to the San Siro, a development that will surely quicken the pulse of the AC Milan faithful. The former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, a man who orchestrates a high press with the precision of a concert conductor, is understood to be intrigued by the project in Lombardy. But here is the catch, and it is a sizeable one.For those dreaming of a Glasner revolution in Serie A, the path is blocked by a rather significant traffic jam in the Austrian FA. Ralf Rangnick, the godfather of modern gegenpressing and currently the man in charge of Das Team, is not being released from his duties. Not yet, anyway. The Austrian federation is playing hardball, and it is easy to see why. Rangnick has built something genuinely cohesive in the national setup, a side that plays with a tactical flexibility and an intensity that belies their underdog status. To let him walk now, with a European Championship cycle still to run, would be akin to pulling the keystone out of an arch.So where does that leave Milan The situation is a classic case of managerial limbo. Glasner is ready, his tactical blueprint for revitalising a Milan side that has often looked bereft of ideas in the final third is reportedly drawn up. He is a coach who loves a fluid front line and demands clinical finishing from his attackers. Yet he cannot formally step into the dugout until Rangnick is freed. It is a waiting game, a chess match played out between boardrooms in Frankfurt, Milan, and Vienna. The longer the Austrian FA digs in its heels, the more the Rossoneri might be forced to consider an alternative. But for now, the signals are clear: Glasner is the preferred candidate, but his appointment is contingent on a man who is still very much employed. Squeaky bum time in the corridors of power.The beauty of this story, of course, is the subplot. If Rangnick is eventually released, it is not just a freed manager going to Milan. It would be a philosophical shift. His influence on Glasner is obvious; both men share a core belief in transitional play, in overwhelming opponents with sheer physical and mental energy. To see that ideology finally take root at a sleeping giant like Milan would be a fascinating experiment. But for now, we are all stuck in the mud of negotiation. The calendar is ticking, the pre season tours are looming, and the silence from the Austrian camp is deafening. One thing is for certain at GoalZaza: this saga is far from over.
