Breaking news:Rangers sack Philippe Clement following defeat to St Mirren

Rangers sack Philippe Clement following defeat to St Mirren
A decision on the manager’s future was reached after a board meeting on Sunday.
Rangers sack Philippe Clement following defeat to St MirrenSNS Group
Exit: Philippe Clement is to leave his position as Rangers manager.
Andy Coyle & Raman Bhardwaj
53 minutes ago
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Rangers have sacked Philippe Clement after 16 months in charge at Ibrox, the club has confirmed.

The manager’s future has been decided after his side’s 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren on Saturday.

A board meeting was held on Sunday and an official announcement followed several hours later confirming that Clement has left his position.

A post on social media read: “Rangers Football Club can confirm it has tonight parted company with men’s first-team manager, Philippe Clement.

“The club would like to put on record their sincere thanks to Philippe for his hard work and dedication during his spell in charge. A further update from the club will follow in due course.”

Rangers will now begin the search for their fourth manager in four years.

Clement leaves the club in second place in the Premiership, trailing leaders Celtic by 13 points.

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His departure comes after another home defeat, and two weeks after a shock cup exit to Championship side Queen’s Park.

It also follows a midweek Rangers TV interview with club chief executive Patrick Stewart where he had reiterated his desire to keep the manager. Stewart had said that European progress had counted in the Belgian’s favour and helped him keep his position after the Scottish Cup humiliation.

In his post-match interview following Saturday’s Premiership defeat, Clement had said his team’s performance was the worst of his tenure but was at a loss to explain the lacklustre showing. When asked about his future, he said it was not in his hands.

“Those are things the board needs to decide,” Clement said. “In the end, I believe these players want to do the right things.

“I believe I can get results with these players. But I am also very disappointed with what we showed today – and I am responsible for that.

“Today was by far not the performance that we have seen in the past. It was by far the worst performance from my time here.”

Philippe Clement came under increasing pressure after a succession of disappointing results. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)SNS Group
Philippe Clement came under increasing pressure after a succession of disappointing results. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)
Pressure had grown on the 50–year-old after a run of away results that saw the team take just three points from a possible 12 on the road over the festive period but he seemed to have weathered the storm and was boosted by a 3-0 win over Celtic at New Year and the team’s direct qualification to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Supporters had made their displeasure known on several occasions throughout the season but the team was booed off the park following the cup exit and fan media showed widespread calls for Clement to go.

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The situation was further complicated when news broke of potential US investment in the club that could lead to an eventual takeover.

Clement said on Friday that he hadn’t given any thought about how a new-look Rangers board might affect his position but another home defeat has now decided his fate.

The Belgian had arrived in Glasgow in October 2023 as the replacement for Michael Beale and enjoyed a successful start to life at Ibrox with a long unbeaten run and trophy success when Rangers defeated Aberdeen to win the League Cup.

The Viaplay Cup was the only trophy Rangers won under Philippe Clement. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)SNS Group
The Viaplay Cup was the only trophy Rangers won under Philippe Clement. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)
His first season in Scotland ended in disappointment when Rangers clawed back the deficit in the league, only to drop points and allow Celtic to win the title by eight points. The Ibrox side then lost to their rivals in the Scottish Cup final.

The former Monaco and Club Brugge boss had talked at length about the need for a summer rebuild of the squad, with a number of experienced players leaving at the end of their contracts.

He brought in 11 new players over the summer with the intent to build a team that could challenge domestically and in Europe but could not find consistent form.

Clement, who was linked with other jobs during his time in Glasgow, also signed a new contract extension in August in a move that both the manager and club said was a commitment to the long-term rebuilding project.

The team was knocked out of Champions League qualifying by Dynamo Kyiv, missing out on the lucrative group stages but did find more success in the Europa League.

In the League Cup, Clement guided his side to the final but saw Rangers lose to Celtic in controversial circumstances, beaten in a penalty shootout but having been denied a spot kick in extra time that the Scottish FA later said should have been awarded.

The manager’s exit came about after a cup exit that ranks among the club’s worst results in the competition but came after repeated disappointing performances in the league, particularly away from home and against sides that sat in against his side.

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Clement, who had insisted after the Queen’s Park defeat that he would not resign, had repeatedly argued that changing manager repeatedly was not a solution that would transform the club’s fortunes and that a long-term view needed to be taken.

During his time in charge, work had been done to lower the wage bill in the squad, and change the profile of the squad to lower the average age and build a successful player trading model, as well as deliver success on the park.

Failure to produce consistently good results had meant that Clement was in the firing line repeatedly but another home defeat has ended the Belgian’s time in charge.

More to follow…

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