Philippe Clement Reflects on Tenure at Rangers Amid Boardroom Chaos
Champions League Third Qualifying Round: Rangers vs. Viktoria Plzen
Venue: Ibrox Date: Tuesday, 5 August Kick-off: 19:45 BST
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Former Rangers manager Philippe Clement has described his tenure at Ibrox as being hindered by "total chaos" at the boardroom level. Clement took over from Michael Beale in October 2023 and secured the League Cup in his first season. He initially led Rangers to challenge Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title, but ultimately fell short, finishing eight points behind due to losses against Motherwell, Ross County, and Celtic. Additionally, Celtic defeated Rangers in the Scottish Cup, with a last-minute goal from Adam Idah sealing the victory.
Clement's summer in charge was marked by significant off-field turmoil. Chief Executive James Bisgrove departed for a position in the Middle East, and Chairman John Bennett stepped down for health reasons. Rangers began the season at Hampden Park due to delays in material shipments for development works on the Copland Stand at Ibrox.
“That’s the frustrating part of the story,” Clement shared on BBC Scotland’s Sacked in the Morning podcast. “In the first seven months, everyone was pleased with the changes at the club. However, after that, many things shifted, leading to chaos. I’ve never been at a club where key positions remained unfilled for six or seven months during a season. A lot transpired.”
Clement expressed frustration over the lack of communication from senior management, as he was left to handle inquiries regarding the club’s off-field issues. He noted that discussions took place over the summer about the long-term strategy needed to compete with Celtic, but felt the board was hesitant to communicate this to supporters.
“They acknowledged that we don’t have the financial resources that Celtic possesses at the moment,” Clement explained. “The squad was aging, and we knew it would take four, five, or even six transfer windows to close the gap with Celtic. Our strategy must begin with acquiring young players, developing them, and eventually selling them to rebuild the club. I believe the board was reluctant to convey this to the fans, who were already upset about the stadium issues. I was the only one speaking for the club because there was no one else.”
The club has since been taken over by a US-based consortium led by private healthcare entrepreneur Andrew Cavenagh. However, Clement believes that the instability at the top was a key factor in Celtic's dominance during his time at Rangers. “The differences in preparation and overall organization between Celtic and Rangers were significant,” he remarked. “In my seven months, there was total chaos at Rangers.”
Clement 'Disrespected' and 'Angry' Over Sacking
Clement was dismissed in February 2025 following a league loss to St Mirren, which left Rangers trailing Celtic by 13 points. Earlier that month, he also faced a humiliating Scottish Cup exit against Championship side Queen's Park.
The former Belgium defender revealed that he learned about his dismissal from journalists before the club officially informed him, an incident that left him feeling disrespected. “It felt really empty,” Clement said. “I was angry that journalists knew before I did. I received numerous messages from Scotland, England, and even Belgium before the club reached out to me, which was not acceptable. I told them it was completely disrespectful. I felt empty because I had invested so much time and effort into building something at the club, often doing more than what is typically expected of a manager, especially in the months when key positions were unfilled.”