Austria national team coach Ralf Rangnick has refused the offer to become Bayern Munich's new boss from summer, the Austrian football federation (ÖFB) said on Thursday.
In statement, ÖFB said that Rangnick has decided to stay with the team beyond the Euro 2024 in Germany this summer and, therefore, he won't take the job at Bayern.
"I'm the Austria team coach with all my heart. This job gives me an incredible amount of pleasure and I'm determined to successfully continue on our chosen path," Rangnick said.
"I would like to emphasize that this is not a rejection of Bayern, but a decision in favour of my team and our common goals. Our full focus is on the Euros. We will do everything we can to get as far as possible there," he added.
Bayern need to find a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, who will have his contract terminated in summer. Rangnick became a top candidate after Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann decided to stay with new Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and Germany respectively.
Bayern top officials said recently that they were in good talks with Rangnick, but will now need to start a new search.
Brighton & Hove Albion coach Roberto de Zerbi has also been linked to the Bavarians, while Spanish media suggested that former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was also a candidate.