Ralf Rangnick has had the last laugh over Manchester United following his ill-fated spell at the club, according to one of his Austria players.
Rangnick was placed in temporary charge of United midway through the 2021/22 campaign after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed.
He arrived at Old Trafford with a reputation as top coach and tactician, having influenced the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel with his brand of relentless attacking football.
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It was initially planned for Rangnick to move into a consultancy role at Old Trafford once a permanent manager had been appointed.
But after a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, Rangnick left United following the appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager.
Around the same time he was appointed head coach of the Austrian national side on an initial two-year deal and successfully guided them to Euro 2024 qualification, with his contract automatically extended to 2026.
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And the side now ranked no 25 in the world by FIFA have already exceeded expectations at this summer's tournament.
They finished top of Group D ahead of France, Netherlands and Poland to set up a favourable round of 16 tie with Turkey, to be played on Tuesday.
Austria international Andreas Weimann says his nation's progression to the knockout rounds of the competition shows Rangnick is a far better manager than his time in England showed.
The former Aston Villa and Bristol City forward also aimed a dig at United and their fortunes since Rangnick's departure.
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"In Manchester, it didn't work that well for our coach," Weimann said at a news conference on Friday.
"But I think it's looking worse for Man United now than it is for the coach. So that's why even in England, people appreciate him more and more."
Austria could face the Netherlands again in the quarter-finals if they beat Turkey before a potential semi-final against England in Dortmund.
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After mocking United, Weimann couldn't resist a cheeky dig at Gareth Southgate's side following their disappointing performance in Group C.
The Three Lions finished top but were held to draws by Denmark and Slovenia after beating Serbia in their opening game.
"They [the English media] only really care about England's result," Weimann added.
"They're not very happy how England have been playing. So yeah, they are happy that they could only play us in the semi-finals if they do well."
Topics: Manchester United, Ralf Rangnick, Austria, Euro 2024, Erik Ten Hag, Gareth Southgate, England
Rory O'Callaghan