Bundesliga
Who is Ralph Hasenhüttl?
The Wolfsburg coach is a purveyor of front-footed and hard-pressing football and played his part in the rise of RB Leipzig. Yet what else is there to know about the man they call the Alpine Klopp? bundesliga.com digs deeper ...
Stats correct as of 23 August 2024
Ralph Hasenhüttl
Age: 57 (born 9 August 1967)
Club: Wolfsburg
Role: Coach
Country: Austria
Key stats
Hasenhüttl arrived at Wolfsburg in March 2024 with seven years of top-flight coaching experience to his name in both the Bundesliga and the English Premier League.
After spells at Unterhaching (where he learned the trade as a youth team coach) and Aalen, Hasenhüttl first came to the attention of big-name sides witth his heroics at Ingolstadt. Having taken charge with the club bottom of Bundesliga 2 in 2013/14 to the safety of tenth place, Hasenhüttl promptly led the side to the Bundesliga in the following season and secured an 11th place spot in the top flight with them in 2015/16.
Watch: Hasenhüttl inspires Wolfsburg to first win of 2024 at Werder Bremen
RB Leipzig then came calling with the side with ambitions to match Hasenhüttl's recruiting the Austrian for their first season in the Bundesliga, 2016/17. His bold tactical approach saw Leipzig storm the league and finish as high as second in their debut campaign - which remains their joint best-ever season. Following another term in the Leipzig dugout, Southampton of England's Premier League came calling in December 2018 - and Hasenhüttl led the Saints to safety in three consecutive seasons.
After over a year out of coaching, Wolfsburg offered Hasenhüttl the chance to return to the Bundesliga in March 2024, with the side in danger of suffering relegation after no wins since the turn of the year. Four victories later, the Wolves finished a comfortable 12th.
Coaches a bit like: Jürgen Klopp
The parallels between Klopp and Hasenhüttl border on uncanny. Both were born in the summer of 1967 and made a name for themselves with their intensive pressing. Hasenhüttl's rise to the Bundesliga with unfancied Ingolstadt mirrors Klopp's success with Mainz, and the careers of both would take them to England. Small wonder that the moniker of the Alpine Klopp has stuck. While pressing is a common tactic these days, the extent to which Klopp and Hasenhüttl used it to take the Bundesliga by storm with Dortmund and Leipzig, respectively, created shockwaves.
Did you know?
Hasenhüttl might be a familiar name among football followers, but that doesn't always translate to instant recognition across the public. In November 2016, a contestant on the German version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? overlooked Ralph Hasenhüttl when asked to select the name of a Bundesliga coach among a few choices to win €4000, and instead wrongly identified Sepp Hundehuus as the correct answer. Hasenhüttl saw the funny side and invited Deligiannis to a Leipzig home match.
What they're saying
"The task is clear. We have to try to get back to winning ways in order to stay in the league. Ultimately, it's about getting the team playing my style of football as quickly as possible. I'm very happy to be back in the Bundesliga." - Hasenhüttl upon being unveiled as Wolfsburg coach in March 2024.
“Pressing. Hunting. Be hungry. When you have the ball, find a quick decision, quick transition to the front. It’s about being emotional, being full of passion. Also, keep the tempo on a high level and don’t slow down the game. That’s what I think the people want to see.” - Hasenhüttl sums up his playing style.
“I’ve known him for six or seven years, he has developed in those years, it’s obvious. He did a great job at Leipzig. What he’s achieved at Southampton is great, just great" - Ralf Rangnick, then Manchester United coach, in March 2022.