Rangers have placed their former captain Barry Ferguson in charge of first-team affairs until the end of the season following Philippe Clement’s sacking.
Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by St Mirren proved to be the final straw for Clement, with the club announcing the Belgian’s departure on Sunday night after 16 months at the helm. The surprise loss left second-placed Rangers 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Premiership and came after a damaging Scottish Cup reverse to minnows Queen’s Park on 9 February.
“When I spoke to RangersTV last week, I was clear that everyone is judged on results and nobody will get unlimited time in any role at the club. Ultimately, the team’s response following their early exit from the Scottish Cup was a cause for deep concern, leading the board to conclude that action had to be taken now.
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“I want to wish Philippe every success in the future. He is a fine man whom I have enjoyed working with in my short time here so far. I also want to welcome Barry back to the club. We appreciate him and his team stepping into the role at this difficult time. Myself, the board and the executive team will give them our full support for the rest of the campaign.” Alex Rae, Colin Stewart and Stephan van der Heyden have also followed Clement out of the door.
Although Clement, who succeeded Michael Beale in October 2023, led Rangers to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face Fenerbahce next month, the 50-year-old vacates his position with the club otherwise set to end the season without a domestic trophy. Rangers have struggled badly on their travels, winning only five of their 13 away matches in the Premiership.
The likes of former manager Steven Gerrard, Sean Dyche and Derek McInnes, in charge at Kilmarnock, have been linked with the vacancy, while Rangers are in talks about a multi-million pound investment by a United States-led consortium which includes Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises.
