Ralf Rangnick Extends Austria Contract To 2028 Amid AC Milan Interest

Austria have confirmed that Ralf Rangnick will stay as head coach until at least Euro 2028, extending a spell that already includes qualification for the 2026 World Cup and a Euro 2024 round-of-16 place, with the new agreement settled before the next major tournament begins.

Rangnick has already taken Austria to Euro 2024, where Austria reached the last 16 before a 2-1 defeat to Turkiye, and then secured a place at the 2026 World Cup, achievements that persuaded the Austrian Football Association to commit to a longer contract.

The former RB Leipzig manager first accepted the Austria role in April 2022 on a two-year contract, stepping in after Austria failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, and the original deal had been scheduled to finish after the 2026 World Cup campaign.

With the extension in place, Rangnick is set to become only the second person to coach Austria at both a World Cup and a European Championship, following Josef Hickersberger, who led the national side at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Austria’s World Cup record gives important context to this decision, as the team have reached the tournament eight times, but not since 1998 when Austria did not progress from the group stage, while the best performance came in 1954, when Austria finished in third place.

Austria open their 2026 World Cup campaign on 16 June against Jordan in Group J, and Rangnick’s extended stay means Austria enter the tournament with continuity on the touchline, an approach that is often valued by national teams preparing for back-to-back major events.

Austrian Football Association Supervisory Board Chairman Josef Proll welcomed the agreement being reached before the World Cup opener, stating: "My special thanks go to Ralf Rangnick. The fact that he has chosen Austria and his team shows how important this project is to him. It is a true matter of the heart for him."

On the pitch, Rangnick has overseen 46 matches as Austria head coach, winning 28, drawing eight and losing ten, and the 60.9% win percentage from this period is the highest recorded by Rangnick across any team managed in a long coaching career.

Off the field, Rangnick has been linked with the vacant AC Milan technical director position and was reported as the leading candidate, yet reports indicate that discussions stalled because Rangnick wanted full control of the project, including appointing the next coach, who could be former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, and shaping the club’s director structure.

The new contract means Austria head into the 2026 World Cup and the build-up to Euro 2028 with a clear plan, stable leadership and a coach whose methods have already delivered qualification and improved results, offering consistency for players and staff through consecutive tournament cycles.