PHILIPPE CLEMENT has been named as Michael Beale’s successor at Ibrox to become the club’s FOURTH manager in two years.
The Belgian, who was sacked by Monaco in June, has accepted a three-and-a-half year contract to follow Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the Englishman in quickfire fashion.
Clement was handed the challenge following a final round of interviews with chairman John Bennett and chief executive officer James Bisgrove, with ex-gaffer Graeme Souness also involved in the process, according to a report on the club website.
The 49-year-old coach pipped former Ibrox defender Kevin Muscat for the job.
HELLO AND GOODBYE…Brendan Rodgers with Pedro Caixinho, Ibrox manager No.2 to face the Irishman.
Clement will meet the players tomorrow and will be in the dug-out for the first time against Hibs in Glasgow on Saturday.
He takes over a team already seven points adrift of Celtic after only eight games.
Beale was axed a fortnight ago, 24 hours after the team’s third league loss of the campaign, a 3-1 defeat against Aberdeen in Govan. That reverse followed a 1-0 Hoops win last month and the same scoreline against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park at the season’s kick-off in August.
Clement, who has also managed Genk and Club Brugge, will get his first taste of the Glasgow derby against the champions at Parkhead on December 30.
He will be the sixth manager to go head to head with Brendan Rodgers as he follows Mark Warburton, Pedro Caixinho, Gerrard and Beale plus Graeme Murty in a capacity role.
Clement was given the boot by Monaco after only 18 months in charge when the French giants missed out on Europe following a sixth place finish in Ligue 1.
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