Ralf Rangnick treats his Austria stars to a Rod Stewart concert in Berlin as he looks to get a tune out of his players ahead of facing France in Euros opener

Ralf Rangnick treated his Austria stars ahead of facing France at Euro 2024Former Man United boss took his players to see Rod Stewart perform in BerlinLISTEN to It’s All Kicking Off! How Southgate made it enjoyable to play for England again

Ralf Rangnick rides again, still doing things his way. Pressing high, speaking his mind with professorial certainty, treating his Austria players to a Rod Stewart concert in Berlin as they prepared to take on France.

Two years have passed since his brief spell as Manchester United’s interim boss and he swerved the consultancy role on offer at Old Trafford to take on international football.

It has, thus far, been a success. Austria’s players, many of them reared on the high-octane formula perfected by Rangnick during his time as Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig’s director of football, have responded naturally to him.

They lost just once while finishing runners-up behind Belgium, and comfortably ahead of Sweden, in qualifying and arrived at Euro 2024 on a run of six wins and a draw in their last seven games.

At 65, Rangnick has lost none of his enthusiasm for moulding willing players into a cohesive team, so much so that he resisted the lure of Bayern Munich to take on the challenge of qualifying for the World Cup in North America.

Ralf Rangnick has been a success as Austria's head coach after his failed Man United stint

Rangnick took his Austria players to a Rod Stewart (left, pictured performing in Denmark earlier this month) concert as he looks to get a tune out of his players

Austria lost just once in qualifying while finishing runners-up behind Belgium

‘For me, success is something other than necessarily winning a title,’ he said in an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit last week. ‘I see myself as a developer and service provider who tries to help his teams play better, more interesting, more entertaining football. I mean it seriously. But, of course, I would have been happy to win a major title. That’s another reason why the decision against Bayern was difficult.’

His has been a fascinating coaching career, as much for the jobs he nearly had or briefly had as the places where he settled in and achieved his greatest triumphs — at Schalke in two spells, a pioneering five-year tenure at Hoffenheim and as Red Bull’s footballing guru overseeing Salzburg in Austria and Leipzig in Germany.

Rangnick’s tactical revolution unleashed German football from its inherent caution. Those who followed him, including Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, spread the word of his genius to the Premier League, and yet those six months at United, after he replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are hardly cherished. If they are remembered for anything, it will most likely be his claim United required ‘open heart surgery’ which has proved prescient.

Certainly, it appears to be a view shared by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos crew and Rangnick refuses to accept it was ever a mistake to accept the temporary role at Old Trafford.

‘There were good reasons,’ he told Die Zeit. ‘Before joining Manchester United, there were intensive talks with AC Milan. We agreed. I had already learned Italian. It didn’t work out, which also had to do with the Covid crisis.

‘Then there were talks with Chelsea. When United, the third top club, approached me a few months later, I wanted to take on the challenge. My engagement as coach was limited in time from the start.

‘We mutually terminated the subsequent consulting contract because I wanted to concentrate fully on the task in Austria.’

Back on more familiar territory, his methods are working efficiently again. The disruption of injuries to key players David Alaba and Xaver Schlager have been offset by the chemistry of the Red Bull set.

They face tournament favourites France in their first game at Euro 2024 on Monday night

Rangnick has lost none of his enthusiasm for moulding willing players into a cohesive team

Seven of Rangnick’s squad have played at Salzburg, Leipzig or both, where the tactics he implemented during seven years in various roles remain the guiding light.

There is a strong seam running through these Euros, in fact.

Two other managers — Julian Nagelsmann of Germany and Domenico Tedesco of Belgium — and a total of 27 players representing 13 different nations have spent time at the Red Bull clubs.

These include Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate of France, many people’s favourites for the title. ‘Maybe the biggest favourites of the tournament,’ said Rangnick.