FC Schalke 04 sign Reinhold Ranftl

“We are really happy that we’ve been able to complete the signing of Reinhold Ranftl,” said sporting director Rouven Schröder. “Reini has everything we want for a right-back in the systems we play. He plays at a high intensity, both with and without the ball, and alongside his defensive capabilities, is dangerous going forward with his whipped crosses and shots. He was directly involved in 13 goals last season, which shows how important he can be for our attacking game and play on the break.”

Ranftl, who has won six caps for Austria, is excited for his move to Gelsenkirchen: “I had six great years at LASK and wouldn’t have left for any old club, however I desperately wanted to come to Schalke. I’m really proud to be a part of this new team and the new sporting mission.”

The 29-year-old joined Sturm Graz as a youngster in 2010 after spells with Kapfenstein and Fehring. After a six-month loan to TSV Hartberg, the wide player joined SC Wiener Neustadt in 2014. A year later he transferred to LASK, going on to make 241 competitive appearances over six seasons, including 16 games in the Europa League (1 goal, 6 assists) plus six qualifiers for Europe’s second-biggest cup competition (3 assists). Ranftl also appeared four times in UEFA Champions League qualifiers with LASK in 2019/20 (1 goal, 1 assist).