Manchester United’s disappointing start to this season resulted in the Red Devils parting ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November.
In their search for a new coach, the Premier League side appointed Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of this term. The German is then expected to move to a consultant role for two years, starting from the summer.
Under the ex-RB Leipzig manager, the English club were knocked out by Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, and Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Prior to bringing Rangnick to Old Trafford, Manchester United looked at a few other candidates and this includes Rudi Garcia. The 58-year-old has been out of a job since leaving Lyon at the end of last season.
French newspaper Le Figaro have published an interview with Garcia, in which he was quizzed about the reports linking him to the Manchester club towards the end of 2021.
“I was sent all over the football planet, with real news and fake news too, it’s quite funny to read that. I had several proposals, in England, Spain and France, but the most advanced, and which really came close, was with Manchester United,” Garcia said.
“They made the choice of Rangnick, but that also testifies to the international recognition that I can have, where the leaders only look at the results. My two places as Italian vice-champion with AS Roma, a Europa League final with Lyon and a Champions League semi-final with Lyon, that counts in the eyes of some.”
Garcia also gave an insight into his interview with Manchester United officials for the Old Trafford job.
“In Manchester, the interviews went pretty well. I saw John Murtough and Darren Fletcher, I told them I had to work on my English and Darren, who is Scottish, had a cool joke telling me that I did not yet have the level with the Scottish accent to answer, but that it was very good,” he explained.
“I find it respectful to speak the language in the country where you work. At Marseille or Lyon, I waged war on my players to take French lessons. When you see Ancelotti speaking our language despite leaving PSG, it’s classy.”
