Ex Man United coach made his entrance onto the pitch… on a bicycle

Austria boss Ralf Rangnick has built his reputation on pushing the boundaries of modern football, but supporters arriving for the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina got an unusual surprise: the 67-year-old coach pedaling an e-bike across the pitch before kick-off.

The former Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Manchester United manager made his way across the turf on two wheels to speak with broadcaster ORF ahead of the game. Then, as the teams headed off for the interval, Rangnick once again mounted his bike, cycling past his own players before disappearing into the tunnel.

It wasn’t the first time Rangnick has caught attention for doing things differently. Back in 2015 at Leipzig, he introduced a countdown clock at training — giving players eight seconds to win the ball back and 10 seconds to score. He also worked with sleep specialists and even installed a device that recreated previous matches to sharpen players’ decision-making.

Could the bike, then, have been part of yet another left-field performance hack? As it turns out, no.

The Austrian coach later revealed he is recovering from a serious ankle problem that has required several surgeries. While the initial procedure went well, complications led to an infection and another hospital stay.

“It could be better, but I’m taking small steps and things are looking up,” said Rangnick, who admitted he is still limiting how much he walks in order to speed up recovery. “Unfortunately, my ankle is still not in great shape. I’ve known for a few days that the distances here [at the stadium] are long. It couldn’t be much further.”

To get around on training days, he has even resorted to a golf cart.

Rangnick’s tactical legacy is already secure — his ideas around pressing football helped inspire Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel — but his current record with Austria is just as impressive. He has overseen four wins from four in Group H of World Cup qualifying and last summer steered his side to the last 16 of EURO 2024, after topping a group that included France, the Netherlands and Poland.