Philippe Clement’s status in the Rangers’ dugout remains intact, despite ongoing speculation about the cost of dismissing him.
The Belgian’s job has become untenable in the eyes of practically every Rangers supporter after his team lost 1-0 to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup, creating unpleasant history in the process.
Clement’s appointment as the first Gers manager to oversee a home loss against lower-league opposition at Ibrox has not yet marked the end of his tenure, with £1.2 million in compensation necessary to part ways [Scottish Sun, 11 February].
Such a fee is beyond the Ibrox boardroom’s means, and Hugh Keevins’ claim that Clement earns £50,000 per week suggests that the Belgian may be willing to accept even more compensation [Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, 10 February].
Philippe Clement’s salary claims were dropped amid the Rangers turmoil.
Derek Clark and journalist Jonny McFarlane were astonished by Keevins’ claim that Clement gets £50,000 per week, which equates to a £2.6 million yearly wage.
McFarlane said: “I’d be stunned – if Philippe Clement earns £50,000 per week, he may be the highest-paid manager in the club’s history by a long shot.
“I’d be surprised if it was that much. It’s a significant sum, but I believe the £1.2 million would be closer to a year’s wage, which makes more sense to me than £50,000 each week.
“I think that’s an awful lot, and it would put him ahead of almost every manager in the Championship and some Premier League managers, so that to me is just too high.”
Rangers have kept with Philippe Clement for the time being.
The Light Blues’ financial problems are not new; they precede Clement’s appointment, and the Ibrox faithful are now facing the consequences of years of mismanagement.
Rangers’ finances for last year showed a £17.2 million deficit due to some unusual transfer market activities as well as pay-offs handed to Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale following their dismissals in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Those compensation expenses have undeniably impeded the Gers’ ability to proceed into the new age that Clement is aiming to usher in in Govan; the Belgian oversaw a big rebuild last summer.
They’ve also established a precedent for the consequences of replacing managers in the middle of the season, and with the Ibrox leadership reticent to fire Clement, they’ll refer to the financial hit.
Clement may be hanging by a thread in the perspective of Bears fans, but unless there is a significant shift upstairs, don’t expect much movement in the dugout unless Clement decides to resign.
In a world of compensation payments and large management pay-offs, the latter appears doubtful, but if Keevins’ £50,000-per-week claims are real, Clement must believe he isn’t making enough money right now.
