Rangers sack Philippe Clement after St Mirren defeat

Rangers have parted ways with manager Philippe Clement following their 2-1 home defeat to St Mirren, a result that leaves them 13 points adrift of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic.

The 50-year-old Belgian had been under growing pressure as his side struggled for consistency, with a recent Scottish Cup exit at home to Queen’s Park further fuelling fan unrest.

Off the pitch, 49ers Enterprises are in negotiations for a potential takeover of Rangers, which could be finalised between April and June.

“The club would like to put on record their sincere thanks to Philippe for his hard work and dedication during his spell in charge,” Rangers said in a statement, promising further updates in due course.

Clement took charge in October 2023, succeeding Michael Beale, and initially led the team to League Cup success while briefly topping the Premiership table. However, a poor record against Celtic and inconsistent league form ultimately cost him his job.

This season, defeats to Celtic, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, and St Mirren, along with a League Cup final loss to Celtic on penalties, intensified scrutiny. While a league win over Celtic in January provided temporary relief, further dropped points at Hibernian and Dundee—along with back-to-back home losses—sealed his fate.

Saturday’s defeat to St Mirren marked their first win at Ibrox since 1991, adding to Rangers’ woes after their Scottish Cup elimination by Queen’s Park.

Rangers now face Kilmarnock in the Premiership on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) before hosting Motherwell at Ibrox on Saturday (15:00 GMT).