Philippe Clement has broken his silence on the tense encounter he faced with Rangers fans outside Ibrox following their 3-0 defeat to Celtic a couple of weeks ago.
It was a sobering night for the club, and the frustration of the fans boiled over in the aftermath, leaving the Belgian manager in an uncomfortable situation.
Rangers supporters were visibly furious after watching their team falter against their fiercest rivals, Celtic, at Parkhead.
Despite a promising first ten minutes, the Light Blues were comprehensively outplayed, and the final result only served to underscore the growing divide between the two Glasgow giants. For many, it felt like the chasm between the clubs had never been wider.
Following the derby defeat, Clement was confronted by a group of angry fans outside Ibrox.
The scene was charged, and the fans, who had witnessed the painful result on their televisions, were determined to vent their anger. Clement’s response to the supporters became a focal point of discussion, and he has now opened up about that evening.
Philippe Clement on the fan confrontation
Speaking at the Rangers Training Centre ahead of their upcoming clash with Dundee United, Clement addressed the incident, reflecting on the emotions of that night.
“Yeah, it’s already a long time ago,” he said. “It’s never a nice moment to lose against your rivals and for sure not with the 3-0, so I understand the frustration.
“We had the same frustration and the anger inside of us, so in a way, you understand things, but in another way, it depends on what words are used in that way.
“So that happened in the heat of the moment that night. I’ve been now ten to twelve days longer in Glasgow after it and I met a lot of fans who reacted in a totally different way and were very positive and supportive about the team and club.”
Clement, clearly keen to move past the event, added: “So it’s in the heat of the moment. It’s not things that you like or love, but it happened.”
When asked if he believes he still has the trust and backing of the Rangers supporters, Clement’s response was resolute. “Of course, 100 per cent yes.”
Clement urges patience
Clement went on to discuss the challenges he faces as he works to rebuild the squad after a summer of significant upheaval. With 16 players leaving the club, many of whom were key figures, and 11 new arrivals to integrate into the team, the manager has called for patience.
“I don’t know how many times I need to repeat that message because I don’t want you guys (the press) to get bored,” Clement said.
“We spoke about the end of the cycle last year, 16 players left the club, and the average age of the players who left was around 28. We brought 11 players in, and the average age is around 23, so that’s already a big difference.
“But you need time to work with the boys. Football is not just putting 11 players on the pitch and hoping they do something.
“So you need to work on a lot of things – get connections on the field and off the field, the timings, when to run, how to run, where to run, how to play a ball. So there’s a lot of things to be done, and that needs time.”
Despite the challenges, Clement remains upbeat about the potential within the squad. “I see a very energetic young group with a lot of hunger and potential, and I’m very positive about the story. I want to work with them, make them better, and work as a team,” he said.
“The team has shown good things in moments, and the team also had difficult things in moments the last couple of weeks. Now it’s about making as few mistakes as possible.”