No contact over England vacancy, says Rangnick

RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick insists there has been no contact from the Football Association (FA) regarding the vacant England manager’s job.

Sam Allardyce left the post on Tuesday by mutual consent, after agreeing with the FA that comments he made to undercover journalists regarding ways to negate transfer rules were “unacceptable”.

While Under-21s boss Gareth Southgate has been handed the job for the next four matches, a permanent successor has yet to be identified and Rangnick’s name was linked.

The 58-year-old admits to having spoken with FA technical director Dan Ashworth after England’s abysmal Euro 2016 showing, which cost Roy Hodgson his job, but insists he has not been approached since Allardyce’s departure.

Speaking prior to Leipzig’s Bundesliga clash with Augsburg on Friday, he told Sky Deutschland: “The fact is, a few days after the Euro 2016 final, I got a call.

“It was from Dan Ashworth, the association’s technical director who I had known for a few years. He invited me for talks about me becoming the new England manager.

“We had a good, two-hour talk. A day later, Dan informed me that they had decided they wanted to appoint an English manager, also out of respect for English managers.

“Since then, there has not been any more contact.”

Rangnick has coached numerous clubs in his homeland, notably Stuttgart, Hannover and Schalke, and guided Hoffenheim from the third tier to the Bundesliga in consecutive seasons. 

He is one of a host of names to be touted for the England vacancy, with Arsene Wenger, Steve Bruce and Eddie Howe also reported to be among the contenders.