Ralf Rangnick has criticized Oliver Mintzlaff for his rushing ahead with the planned cooperation between RB Leipzig and SC Paderborn. The former sports director of Leipzig would have preferred a different approach by the managing director.
“That was certainly not the best idea to announce it at a press conference,” Rangnick said at a podium talk in Club International. Mintzlaff had hinted at the planned cooperation in announcing the appointment of Paderborn’s sports director Markus Krösche.
The planned cooperation between the promoted player and Leipzig caused great indignation among some fan groups. “Actually, it’s a bit of a shame. In this way we gave fan groups the chance to turn a one-day fly into an elephant,” Rangnick classified.
In the meantime, Mintzlaff has recognized his mistake, said Rangnick, who now works for the Red Bull Group as Head of Sport and Development Soccer: “And even if there had been cooperation – who would have been interested?
Nevertheless, Rangnick didn’t want his criticism to place himself above Mintzlaff: “I’ve already said something at press conferences where I grabbed my own head afterwards”.