Huge surprise as top German manager rejects Chelsea job, tells Abramovich that he isn't an interim coach
- Chelsea made attempts to sign former Leipzig manager as a replacement for Lampard
- The German boss turned down the offer saying he cannot take an interim assignment
- The Blues then shift their focus to ex-PSG handler Thomas Tuchel
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Former RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick has revealed that Chelsea attempted to hire him on an interim basis before settling for Thomas Tuchel.
The 62-year-old German added that he turned down the offer as he would not love to be committed to a club on a temporary basis.
Tuchel, however, came in as a replacement for Frank Lampard who was relieved of his duties on January 25. He told The Times of his negotiations with Chelsea as reported by Goal:
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"I said: 'I would like to come and work with you, but I can't do it for four months. I'm not an interim coach.'"
Source: Getty Images
Asked if he would be open to taking up a different position in the Premier League in the future, he said:
"It would have to be something special. It depends on the club and whether you want to work with a German coach."
Ex-RB Leipzig's boss was linked with the England top job in 2017 but after the interview, Sam Allardyce became the chosen one.
The Big Sam only lasted one game in charge of the Three Lions before his sack over allegations of corruption. Rangnick reveals he was Allardyce's main competitor. He said:
"The England job was between me and Allardyce. They decided on Sam. We know how that went."
Apart from his reign with Leipzig between 2015 and 2019, Rangnick has coached ten different clubs over the course of his managerial career - all of which have been based in Germany.
Schalke, Hoffenheim, Hannover and Stuttgart are among those to have benefitted from the 62-year-old's wisdom, and he has also been credited for influencing Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Jurgen Klopp.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Frank Lampard still earns roughly N40m (£75k) weekly wages from Chelsea days after losing his job at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues confirmed the sack of a 42-year-old in January and immediately replaced him with former Paris Saint Germain handler, Thomas Tuchel.
Lampard had an active deal with the club, with SunSport reporting he was not paid the remainder of his contract following a change of policy at the club.
Oluwatomiwa is a sports editor with Legit.ng. He has over eight years of field and office experience in the media industry. He graduated from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in 2014 with HND in Mass Communication. Connect with him on Twitter @TomiwaBabalola.
Source: Legit.ng
