In pictures: Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s 12 months as Rangers manager as Dutchman branded ‘victim of own success’
Four days after marking his anniversary as Rangers manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been axed by the Ibrox board
The Dutchman parted ways with the Light Blues on Monday morning, owing to a poor run of results so far this season deemed ‘unacceptable’ by club hierarchy.
The decision comes during the World Cup break with the Gers currently sitting nine points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race and after a diabolical Champions League group stage campaign.
Reports from the Netherlands have suggested Van Bronckhorst became the victim of his own success at Rangers, with respected journalist Marcel van der Kraan insisting the failure to reinvest in player sales led to his sacking.
Writing in De Telegraaf, he commented: “Van Bronckhorst achieve successes very quickly, which resulted in millions of sales, but the club refused to invest heavily again with the income. And that was precisely what was needed in a season in which the Champions League was scheduled with a killer schedule.
“Between January and August, Rangers sold 40 million euros worth of players, of which only a small part as spent on strenghtening the squad.”
Here, GlasgowWorld looks back on the Van Bronckhorst’s brief spell in charge as he became departed with the third-shortest tenure in the club’s history:
1. Gloomy beginnings
Van Bronckhorst watches on as he takes his seat at Hampden Park before formally taking charge of Rangers the following day. The Dutchman watched his side lose 3-1 to Hibernian in the League Cup semi-final, hinting at the task he would face
2. Finding form in Europe
In his first match in charge, Van Bronckhorst steered the club into the Europa League knockout stage as Alfredo Morelos’ brace downed Sparta Prague. The result sparked a historic European run
3. Title defence suffers damaging blow
Rangers held a four-point lead over Celtic heading into Van Bronckhorst’s maiden Glasgow derby in February 2022. His side were dismantled 3-0 in a one-sided encounter on a galling afternoon at Parkhead Photo: Craig Williamson - SNS Group
4. Deadly in Dortmund
One of the high points in Van Bronckhorst’s short tenure came against Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League. The Germans were stunned 4-2 at the Signal Iduna Park, before a 2-2 draw at Ibrox the following week sealed the Gers progression. It propelled the club’s belief on the continental stage