Rangers have appointed Philippe Clement as their new chief staff following the sacking of underperforming manager Michael Beale.
Clement’s official presentation took place on Sunday morning, with the Gers chairman John Bennett congratulating the 49-year-old for his new job.
“I would like to offer my warm congratulations to Philippe as he becomes our 19th manager,” Bennett said, as relayed by the club’s X profile.
“His appointment comes at the end of a carefully planned and comprehensive recruitment process.”
Rangers have been on the lookout for a new manager since they relieved Beale of his duties earlier this month following a poor string of results in the Scottish championship.
Former Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard was among the early candidates to succeed the 43-year-old, but the club quickly discarded that possibility.
Eventually, the Gers’ shortlist had only featured two names. In addition to Clement, Yokohama F. Marinos tactician Kevin Muscat was on Bennett’s radar.
However, Clement has won the race as he returns to management after being out of fork for a few months on the back of his dismissal at Monaco in June.
The Belgian manager was at the helm of the Ligue 1 powerhouse for over a year, replacing Niko Kovac in January 2021 and helping the club from the French principality surge from sixth to third.
Unfortunately, he failed to steer Monaco into the Champions League group stages last year, bowing out to PSV Eindhoven in the qualifying play-offs.
Clement’s side then failed to progress past Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League opening knockout round, while their domestic campaign went all wrong.
After failing to secure European qualification, Monaco parted with the 49-year-old at the end of last season, bringing ex-Leverkusen manager Adi Hutter to take his place.
Clement will have a week to adapt to the new surroundings and help Rangers regain a foothold in the Scottish Premiership title race after falling seven points behind pacesetters Celtic.
