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How Nils Koppen's Rangers promotion will help Philippe Clement as boss admits Ibrox 'vacuum' caused short term issues

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Rangers boss Philippe Clement reckons Nils Koppen’s Rangers promotion to technical director will take a load off his plate.

The former recruitment chief was this week handed a new job that will see him oversee all football operations. The appointment hasn’t been without critics, with some fans insisting the former PSV Eindhoven scout has done little to prove he’s qualified for the all-encompassing role during his 12-month spell at Ibrox.

But Clement is happy he’ll be able to focus on sinking his teeth purely into first-team matters now that Koppen is chewing over the rest. He said: "It's been a strange period in the last couple of months where there has been a kind of vacuum in the club in that way with people stepping in, in the interim role and helping in that way. And also looking for a new chairman, new CEO. But it's clear now also with Craeg Robertson [head of football administration] leaving we needed somebody to make decisions in the short term, not only in the long term.

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"So Nils will take over several responsibilities that Creag had. But that was also a role that he was already doing in a way, together with me, about the short term, things to change in the club and things to do in the club.

"So there's always a lot of things to do with staff, with infrastructure, with a lot of things. So it's positive, there's clarity in that way now.

"It's been a very intense period. Still now, there's a lot of things to do. But it's good that there's clarity about that and that everybody has a clear role.

"Some things that came on my plate the last couple of months don't need to come on the plate of a manager at any club in the world. So in that way, it will help me."