Ralf Rangnick is worried about the sporting development in Austria.
Keystone
Austria’s national football coach Ralf Rangnick calls for “the courage to finally think bigger in Austria”. The fact that Switzerland has overtaken Austria in skiing is no surprise to him.
Ralf Rangnick used his presentation as ambassador of the “Daily Movement Unit” in Vienna to speak plainly. Among other things, Rangnick spoke about the lack of modern event arenas in Austria and criticized this.
“No other European country attracts as many top football clubs for a training camp as Austria. We have wonderful climatic conditions, great pitches combined with the best hotels. We have fantastic conditions in Austria. But at the same time, we are the country where there is not a single modern event arena,” Rangnick is quoted as saying by the “Krone” newspaper.
Austria has been overtaken by Switzerland in sport, says the German. “Why has Switzerland overtaken Austria in sport, and not just in skiing? Because they built the ‘Oym’ in Cham five years ago,” he explains. “It’s a home for all types of sport, the perfect preparation for top-class sport takes place here.”
“… then we will experience a disaster”
For Austria, Rangnick emphasized the enormous importance of daily exercise sessions in kindergartens and schools: “It’s not a luxury, it’s a duty. Sport must not be an annoying secondary subject, it must be an educational subject. Nutrition must also be a school subject in its own right. Many children go to school without breakfast and with a chocolate bar. That is a disaster. If we don’t see it that way, we will experience a disaster and our healthcare system will collapse.”
Rangnick would prefer to establish daily exercise at a very early age: “Children have a natural urge to move, and this must be encouraged. It’s not about finding talent. It’s about getting children moving.”