A special project

Rangnick admits: “I had tears in my eyes”

Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Ralf Rangnick doesn't just want to leave his mark on soccer. Austria's team boss has also dedicated himself to equal opportunities for children of primary school age. The Ralf Rangnick Foundation named after him has been implementing projects in his former adopted home of Leipzig since 2018.

"For me, there are two things that make life worth living: loving and helping," explained the 65-year-old German in an interview with APA - Austria Presse Agentur ahead of the European Championship in his home country.

"We are doing comparatively well," Rangnick reminded us. People in Ukraine or the Middle East have different fates. "I think it's important that we, who can afford it, help to ensure that our next generations can also lead a nice, good life." Some global political issues - from wars and climate change to the possible election of Donald Trump as US president - worry the father of two adult sons. "But I believe that everyone can make a contribution in their own area, in their family and in their job."

After a stroke of fate
According to Rangnick, he first thought about setting up a foundation 15 years ago. He only set it up after his best friend and long-time advisor Volker Weiß died of leukemia nine years ago. When he set up the foundation, he still assumed that he would "retire from soccer in Leipzig" and stay there. "That turned out differently." The Swabian now lives in Obertrum in Salzburg. At the beginning of May, he turned down the offer to look after another world club after Manchester United (2021/22) with Bayern Munich from the summer in favor of the ÖFB.

His foundation has a full-time office manager, several project managers and volunteers. It is purely operational. "It's not the case that we collect money and then give it back to charity somewhere. We do all the projects ourselves," emphasized Rangnick. More than 40,000 schoolchildren in the Leipzig area have already been reached - with projects ranging from mobile bike driving licenses for children who do not yet own a bike, to company sponsorships and health promotion.

Austria's team leader is also committed to equal opportunities for children of primary school age

(Bild: APA Pool/APA/SANDRINO DONNHAUSER)

The most recent highlights were of a musical nature. The opera "Icarus and the Dream of Flying" premiered in 2022. More than 500 primary school children took part. "That was one of the best experiences I've ever had - outside of soccer," said Rangnick. Stage design, costumes, libretto, even the title of the opera - the children worked on everything. The plot: if humanity continues as it has done so far, everyone will eventually become refugees because the earth can no longer be inhabited.

Combining music and sport
Last year, "Brundibar" was on the program - an allegory of the Nazi regime, written by the deported Jewish composer Hans Krasa. Conductor Barbara Rucha had German and refugee Ukrainian children in mind as the protagonists, who together drive out their adversary in the story. On Rangnick's initiative, the production was expanded to include Russian children who had emigrated to Leipzig. "They sang together, in all three languages." He had tears in his eyes at the first rehearsal.

Music, like soccer, has a unifying effect. "A lot happens when children learn a musical instrument at an early age - with the synapses, with the brain, but also with the children's self-confidence," said Rangnick. He came up with his foundation's field of activity in precisely this age segment after a conversation with Leipzig's Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung (SPD), a trained teacher like himself. Equal opportunities for children regardless of their social status and background is the goal.

Is very time-consuming
At times, almost half of the 80 elementary school in Leipzig had sponsorships through the foundation. One used the money to build a Ninja Warrior course, another a "Snoezel room" for relaxation, in which all the senses are to be stimulated in a cell phone-free zone. As coach and sports director at RB Leipzig at the time, Rangnick networked them with the club's VIP guests, among others. He himself has two sponsorships, and he has also recruited the ÖFB trio currently working in Leipzig - Christoph Baumgartner, Nicolas Seiwald and Xaver Schlager, who was injured at the European Championships. "The conversation took less than two minutes, they were immediately on board."

Many ideas could also be transferred to Austria, Rangnick said. He is open to it. "Of course, my time is very limited, but if someone wants to implement this in Austria and is also willing to make a financial contribution, we would be happy to open an office in Vienna or Salzburg."

The foundation is currently largely financed by Rangnick's income from lectures and other public appearances. One major source of income has been lost due to a charity golf tournament in Leipzig, which has not been held since the coronavirus pandemic. "It's still great fun, but we have to see how we manage it year on year," explained Rangnick. "It's not like we say at the end of the year that we have anything left." His commitment has already taken up a lot of time as well as money. "But I don't regret it one bit."