Former interim manager of Manchester United, Ralf Rangnick, has defended Jadon Sancho, describing him as a ‘calm and pleasant guy’ during his tenure at Old Trafford.
Sancho, who had been excluded from the Red Devils’ first-team setup for a significant part of the 2023/24 season, has now returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Erik ten Hag, the United boss, raised concerns about Sancho’s training level in a press conference in September. In response, the winger refuted the claims on social media and did not apologize for his reaction, leading to his subsequent exclusion from the senior squad.
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In an interview with Sky Sports Germany, Rangnick asserted that Sancho’s return to Dortmund was beneficial for him. He also clarified that, during his six months in charge, he did not witness any signs of a ‘discipline problem’ with Sancho.
“He had his best time in Dortmund, and when he was healthy, he always played for me. However, he wasn’t as carefree as in Dortmund. But that was also due to the overall situation. When he was fit, he was set and did well under me,” said Rangnick.
“In the six months I had him, there wasn’t a single discipline problem. On the contrary. He is a calm and pleasant guy.”
Rangnick initially joined Manchester United as an interim manager in November 2021, taking over until the end of the season after the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His plans for a two-year consultancy role were later shelved with the appointment of Ten Hag. Before leaving United, Rangnick took on the role of the manager for the Austria men’s national team, achieving success by guiding them to Euro 2024 qualification.