Beton.ng reports that Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s job as Rangers manager has come to an end after just one year in charge. The former Arsenal and Barcelona defender was appointed to the Ibrox hot seat last year, but the club has decided to mutually agree with him that he will leave his position at the end of this month. He has won 22, drawn 12, and lost 11 of his 44 games in charge so far and leaves Rangers sitting third in the Scottish Premiership table.
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It's been a tough few weeks for Scottish giants Rangers. Last month, the club was dealt a blow when they were forced to make the decision not to play their first team against Celtic due to their lack of registered professionals. This decision came about as a result of their financial difficulties, which have seen them unable to sign any players this summer. With all these problems plaguing the club and its management team, it wasn't really a surprise when Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked as manager last night.
After being appointed last summer, Van Bronkhorst had an impressive start to his time at Ibrox Stadium with five wins in seven games and qualification for the Europa League group stages secured by finishing second in their qualifying group behind Villareal CF. However, since then things have gone badly downhill. They lost 3-0 on aggregate to Progres Niederkorn in the playoff round for Europe before succumbing to Scottish rivals Celtic in the league cup semi-final at Hampden Park following a 6-1 aggregate defeat.
These results saw them fall to sixth place in the SPL table and lose some key players during the January transfer window, including top scorer Kyle Lafferty. All of these factors combined led to a dismissal from Gers chairman Dave King late last night - this is the fifth manager they've axed within 18 months.
After managing Brighton & Hove Albion FC between 2003 and 2006, Giovanni van Bronkhorst went on to manage Tottenham Hotspur FC (2006-2008) before returning to Dutch football with Ajax Amsterdam between 2008-2010. He then took over as assistant coach of AZ Alkmaar before moving back up north with Fulham FC as an assistant coach between 2011-2013 before he became manager at Rangers last summer.
The circumstances leading to Van Bronckhorst's dismissal
Van Bronckhorst's dismissal came following a 4-0 home defeat to bitter rivals Celtic. The result left the club second from the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, with pressure mounting on the Dutchman to turn things around. In his first season at Ibrox, he was unable to live up to expectations and had never won a league game against Celtic. He was appointed by former Gers boss Mark Warburton, who he played under at Brentford and also managed alongside at Hertha Berlin. But after just 12 months, the board has decided to call time on Van Bronkhorst’s reign.
The decision has not gone down well with some supporters but despite this disappointment, they will be hoping for an improvement under new management - it remains to be seen whether they will appoint someone within or outside of the club - as soon as possible. They were formed in 1872 and their fan base is estimated to be around 1 million fans. They became Scotland's most successful team and are regarded as having invented the passing football style.
Reaction from the Rangers players
Rangers have been struggling to find their feet this season, with a number of disappointing results. After the sacking of Van Bronckhorst, it is unclear who will be next in line for the job. Perhaps Mark Warburton - who led Rangers to promotion last season - might be considered for the role again? Whatever happens, it is clear that there need to be some changes at Ibrox for Rangers to start moving up the Scottish Premiership table.
They can't afford another poor season and miss out on European football for the second consecutive time. The Gers would then risk falling into a pattern of mediocrity which could be difficult to escape from. However, they are not too far off: they're sitting fourth in the league table and only six points behind Celtic who currently occupy the top spot. And if they finish runners-up, they'll qualify for the Champions League without any further drama. It's still possible that we see them push Celtic all the way yet.
What next for Rangers?
Rangers have announced that Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been relieved of his duties as the club's manager. The Dutchman had been in charge for a little over a year but he has now paid the price for a disappointing run of results which has left Rangers ninth in the Scottish Premiership table and without qualification for Europe.
Van Bronckhorst was appointed on a three-year deal and, though it might be too early to judge him, it seems likely that progress was not being made at an acceptable rate.
The club will now be seeking a new man to take them forward and they are already being linked with several high-profile replacements. Their next appointment will be crucial: can they find someone who can get them back into Europe and challenge Celtic? There's still plenty of time this season - but time is running out.
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