We left Philippe Clément with a taste of unfinished business last June. After a year and a half on the bench, the Belgian left AS Monaco without ever having managed to make his mark. However, he still had one year left on his contract but the success never really took off after a few promises made at the start of his career. “This club is in my heart. I want to fight for him, but it’s up to management to decide. I don’t run away from my responsibilities.” he explained, a little bitter after a last defeat in Ligue 1 against Toulouse. The Asemist club concluded this failed season in 6th place, without European qualification, despite a good squad.
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Belgian champion with Genk (2019) then Club Bruges (2020 and 2021), Clément had nevertheless arrived with a good label on the Rock. His arrival during the season (January 2022) in place of Niko Kovac was a bit surprising, particularly in terms of timing because the Croatian had still shown good things despite somewhat irregular results. The disappointment was only greater. Moreover, the two coaches have an almost identical record in 57 matches each managed: 31 victories, 12 draws and 14 defeats for Clément, 32 victories, 11 draws and 14 defeats for Kovac.
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No defeat in 13 games on the Rangers bench
We had to move on. Some executives like Youssouf Fofana, Caio Henrique and Kevin Volland were no longer there. Monaco took advantage of the complete overhaul of its organization chart to part ways with him. The 49-year-old technician did not wait long to find a job. In October, Rangers got rid of Michael Beale, already relegated to 7 points in the league by Celtic, and beaten by Aris Limassol in the Europa League. They entrust the keys to the truck to Clément, who does not take long to turn around the illustrious Scottish club. In two months, he has still not lost a single match.
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He has 10 wins and 3 draws in 13 games managed. The Gers are still 2nd in the Scottish Premier League and are only 5 points behind their long-time rival. This Sunday, the League Cup final is looming against Aberdeen and therefore the possibility of a title. The Rangers are of course the favorites. On the European scene, it’s even better. The Scots experienced a thrilling night in Seville on Thursday. Winners 3-2 on the Betis pitch after multiple twists and turns, they finished at the top of their group, guaranteeing them seeded status next February during the round of 16.
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“It’s a great source of pride. I’m really proud of the players.”reacted the Belgian at the end of the meeting, ensuring in passing that he had experienced “one of the biggest evenings of his life”. Betis had not lost at Benito Villamarín since May. “I already had special feelings when I was at Genk and Bruges but this is the first time I have had this feeling with this team. I’m really happy with the evolution we have, mentally, physically, technically, tactically. (…) This team never gives up, everyone is involved, whether they start or not. »
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Everything has been good for Philippe Clément since the start of his adventure at Rangers, to the point of falling in love with the club according to the local media. He wants to believe that this success in Spain is the starting point of something even bigger. “So that has to be the benchmark for the rest of the season. If we stay together, you will see that we can do incredible things together. We must already win this first trophy (the League Cup). But we must also be humble.” And then in two weeks, the coach will experience his first Old Firm against Celtic, who have just suffered their first defeat of the season in the league. Happiness Never Comes Alone.
Pub. 12/16/2023 9:00 p.m. Updated 12/16/2023 9:32 p.m.
2023-12-16 20:00:00
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