Johannes Spors linked with Milan job to reunite with former Man United coach

Southampton chief Johannes Spors is being rumoured to reunite with Ralf Rangnick, as the latter is in contention to become the new AC Milan director.

The last week has seen a lot of change at Southampton in a short space of time. With the departure of the head of UK scouting, Ben Chorley and the end of women’s keeping coach Will Bright’s tenure, the Saints’ staff has undergone quite a few changes.

While the duo’s exits have occurred in different circumstances, there is speculation that the Spygate incident may have contributed to their departures to some extent. If that wasn’t concerning enough, the Saints could be in for a massive shock departure soon.

That’s because the name in question this time is technical director Johannes Spors himself. Given Spors’s connection to Ralf Rangnick, the Sport Republic director has been linked with AC Milan amid speculation that Rangnick could join the Italian giants as their new technical director.

The Saint Centre referenced Gazzetta dello Sport’s report, stating: “If Ralf Rangnick becomes AC Milan’s new Technical Director, he could look to bring Southampton sporting director Johannes Spors with him. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Rangnick and Spors have an excellent relationship.”

Ralf Rangnick knows of Spors from their time in Bundesliga

Dating back to around two decades ago, Johannes Spors was kickstarting his career in football management. The current Southampton chief joined German club Hoffenheim as a video analyst under manager Ralf Rangnick.

At that time, Hoffenheim were in their building phase. Having recently been promoted from the third division to the 2. Bundesliga in 2007, the club’s small staff saw Spors working closely alongside Rangnick, aiding the manager through data reports and match analysis.

The growing relationship between Rangnick and Spors directly reflected on Hoffenheim’s upward trajectory. The club achieved promotion to the top flight at the end of the 2007/08 season.

During Spors and Rangnick’s shared three and a half years at the club, Hoffenheim established themselves as a mid‑table Bundesliga side after having spent years in lower tiers before the duo arrived on the scene.

Notably, their successful work at Hoffenheim was not their only shared management venture. After Ralf Rangnick left Hoffenheim in 2011, Spors left the club four years later to accompany Rangnick at RB Leipzig.

Once again, Spors worked directly as chief scout under Rangnick, who combined the sporting director role with his managerial duties at the time. Similar to their Hoffenheim venture, their first shared year at Leipzig saw the club gain promotion to the Bundesliga.

If anything, Rangnick and Spors’ Leipzig venture proved even more successful, as the duo stood key in helping the side become a modern‑day Bundesliga giant.

Rangnick’s preference can see him uniting with Spors in Serie A

It’s worth noting that Ralf Rangnick has managed multiple sporting director roles and even quite a few managerial roles throughout his career. But the one thing that has stayed with him through all of them is his preference to work with his trusted inner circle.

Calcio Mercato’s report on Rangnick being linked to the AC Milan director role read: “Rangnick has set conditions, but he’s always set them throughout his career: he has to decide everything.”

In another excerpt, the report’s author, Manuel Del Vecchio, mentioned: “I don’t know, if Rangnick were to accept, or Milan were to agree to accommodate Rangnick, they could rely on figures who already know Italian football like Spors.”

Unsurprisingly, the decision of whether to appoint Rangnick as AC Milan’s director rests with the club’s senior figures, and they will decide based on how much flexibility they can offer him. However, if he were to be appointed, the former Manchester United boss could entrust Spors to lead another successful venture alongside him.

Johannes Spors has already proven his German football expertise and market knowledge through his signings and transfer operations at Southampton. Given that he was previously an integral part of the 777 Group, which owned Genoa, his knowledge of Italian football could be an even greater reason for Rangnick to want him on his staff.