Rangers have dismissed manager Philippe Clement, as confirmed by BBC Scotland.
The decision came after a series of disappointing results, culminating in a 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren on Saturday, which left the Ibrox side trailing Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic by 13 points.
The 50-year-old Belgian had faced mounting pressure this season as his team failed to keep pace with Celtic’s consistency. A recent Scottish Cup loss at home to Queen’s Park further fueled discontent among supporters.
Off the field, 49ers Enterprises are in talks to potentially take over Rangers, with a deal expected to be finalized between April and June.
Rangers are set to face Premiership rivals Kilmarnock on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) before hosting Motherwell on Saturday (15:00).
Clement took charge of Rangers in October 2023, succeeding Michael Beale’s 10-month tenure. He quickly made an impact, securing the League Cup and propelling the team to the top of the Premiership.
However, a lackluster record against Celtic led to missed opportunities in last season’s league title and Scottish Cup.
This season, league defeats to Celtic, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, and St Mirren intensified scrutiny on Clement, with Rangers also falling short in the League Cup final, losing to Celtic on penalties.
A league victory over Celtic at Ibrox in January provided temporary relief, but subsequent dropped points against Hibernian and Dundee, along with recent home losses, ultimately sealed Clement’s fate.
Following Hibs’ victory over Celtic earlier on Saturday, St Mirren’s win marked their first at Ibrox since 1991, coming just weeks after Championship side Queen’s Park eliminated Rangers from the Scottish Cup.
In European competitions, Clement’s performance was commendable, matching last season’s achievement of reaching the Europa League last 16. Rangers are set to face Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in March for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Last week, chief executive Patrick Stewart hinted that the board was reluctant to make a managerial change while Rangers remained active in Europe.
“We have been underperforming for several seasons now and that’s not down to a manager,” he said.
“We have changed the manager and it has not made a difference.
“Until we sort the root causes, then it’s akin to trying to fix a broken house and starting with the ceiling instead of starting with the foundations.
“For all that the Queen’s Park result was disastrous, we do also have to give credit to Philippe and the team for the Europa League run. I don’t want to take a step that would put further progress in the Europa League at risk.”
Turbulent period on and off pitch:
An early exit from the Champions League qualifying stages in August restricted Clement’s summer transfer budget, exacerbating the club’s financial difficulties.
Rangers reported a £17.2m loss for the year ending in June, a £4.1m increase from the previous accounting period, leading to a reduction in the first-team wage bill for this season.
In contrast, Celtic, who have secured three consecutive titles, posted a £13.4m profit, highlighting Rangers’ failure to reach the Champions League group stage last season or the league phase this term.
Clement, who previously managed Club Bruges and Monaco, had signed a new contract until 2028 earlier in the season, meaning Rangers now face another managerial compensation payout for the third consecutive season.
Rangers are now seeking their fifth permanent manager in four years, with neither Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Beale, nor Clement able to mount a serious challenge to Celtic since Steven Gerrard led Rangers to their last league title in 2021.
Recent months have seen boardroom changes at Ibrox, with Stewart joining from Manchester United and Fraser Thornton appointed as non-executive chairman.
The chief executive role had been vacant for about six months following James Bisgrove’s departure in the summer, while John Gilligan was named interim chairman in September after John Bennett stepped down due to health reasons.
In his interview with club media last week, Stewart mentioned that Rangers are looking to appoint a new sporting director, a decision Clement stated he would not be involved in.
Clement leaves Rangers with a record of 55 wins, 16 draws, and 15 losses from his 86 games in charge.
