Ralf Rangnick: Rejecting Bayern Munich was 'difficult' decision

After Thomas Tuchel announced his departure, the Bundesliga giants have seen a string of rejections from high-profile managers, including Austria's current boss, Ralf Rangnick.

Following Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso and Germany's Julian Nagelsmann turning down the Bayern job, Rangnick appeared to be the frontrunner for the position.

Negotiations seemed promising, but in a surprising turn of events, the experienced manager opted to stay with the Austrian national team.

This latest rejection adds to the growing list of Bayern's coaching woes. The German record champions were initially targeting different managers, with Vincent Kompany, formerly of Burnley, ultimately taking the helm - though not the initial choice for the Bavarians.

Rangnick, a manager with stints at Schalke and Manchester United, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision.

Such a prestigious role with a top European club doesn't come around every day, and letting it go wasn't easy for the German coach.

"We invested two years here in Austria to get to where we are now. I didn't want to jeopardize that," he told kicker.

He added that rejecting Bayern was "one of the most difficult professional decisions" he has had to make in his career.