The agent of Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, Raquel Rosa, has told GOAL and SPOX of the influence that former Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has had on her career, describing him as "very fair" and "very direct". Before moving into player representation, Rosa worked as an interpreter for Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, with Rangnick serving as head coach of the former between 2006 and 2011.
The 41-year-old agent, who also boasts Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara on her client list, says Rangnick taught her a great deal about how to be successful in the business side of football during their time working together at Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
What has Rosa said about ex-Man Utd boss Rangnick?
Rangnick managed 10 different clubs in Germany, including Schalke and Leipzig, before accepting a temporary post at Old Trafford in November 2021.
The 64-year-old was unable to prevent United from recording their lowest-ever points total in the Premier League, but managed to land the top job with the Austria national team before handing the reins to new permanent head coach Erik ten Hag in May.
"Ralf Rangnick was the person who influenced me the most in football. He always gives 120 per cent. He is very fair and very human. But he is also very direct," Rosa told GOAL and SPOX when quizzed on her relationship with Rangnick.
"We once had a business trip and I was two minutes late. First he said 'You're two minutes late!' not 'Good morning!'
"These are things that have shaped me to do my work better."
Rosa: I wouldn't wear jeans for any Premier League deals!
Rosa's job has given her the opportunity to travel across Europe for transfer negotiations, and she says that every country has a different way of conducting business.
The Brazilian agent, who is also a German citizen and has battled with partial deafness throughout her career, says meetings in England tend to be the most formal as Premier League club owners take it upon themselves to handle transfers.
"For example, the contact persons are different everywhere," said Rosa, who is also the director of the EEFA Player Agents Program and leads a course for the further education of agents. "In Germany, it is clearly the sports director. In England, it's often the owners, i.e. the team owners. In Portugal, it's the presidents. In France, it varies more. For me, it's totally interesting.
"If you can speak to people in their own language, you have an advantage. In all countries, negotiations are different. A business dinner with wine is rather strange for a German. The clothes you wear are also a big difference.
"In Germany, you can dress more casually. In England, people are more conservative. In England, I wouldn't wear jeans and trainers to a negotiation. In Germany, no one cares.
"It's more a question of: Does she know her stuff? Is the price right? It's just different in every country."
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