Rangers Close to Securing Kevin Muscat as New Head Coach
Rangers are nearing an agreement to appoint Kevin Muscat as their new head coach, with personal terms and specific details still to be finalized.
The 52-year-old former Ibrox defender is currently managing Shanghai Port, the leaders of the Chinese league, who have four matches remaining in their season.
A key factor delaying the announcement is Shanghai's upcoming match against Quingdao Hainiu, scheduled for 11:00 BST on Friday. Both Rangers and Muscat are reportedly cautious about finalizing a deal before this match to avoid any disruption.
Rangers are also focused on securing Muscat's coaching staff and completing the necessary paperwork for him to take charge in Scotland. In the interim, youth coach Stevie Smith will lead the team for Saturday's league match against Dundee United at Ibrox, although the identity of the coach for the Europa League match against Brann Bergen on Thursday remains uncertain.
Muscat has emerged as the frontrunner for the role after former manager Steven Gerrard withdrew his application over the weekend, stating that the timing was not right for his return to Ibrox. Additionally, former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl was considered but also opted out of the race on Wednesday.
Born in Crawley, Muscat had a brief playing stint at Rangers before embarking on a coaching career with Melbourne Victory, where he secured the A-League title. Following a less successful period with Sint-Truiden in Belgium, he led Yokohama F. Marinos to the J-League title before taking over at Shanghai in 2023, where he won the title last season and is now four games away from retaining it this year.
Rangers are searching for a new head coach after dismissing former Southampton manager Russell Martin just 17 games into his tenure. Currently, the Glasgow side sits eighth in the Scottish Premiership, nine points behind city rivals and reigning champions Celtic, and two points adrift of leaders Heart of Midlothian. They have also failed to qualify for the Champions League and have lost both of their Europa League matches thus far.