Rangers have officially appointed Derek McInnes as their new manager on a three-year contract, following the departure of Danny Röhl to RB Salzburg by mutual agreement. McInnes, a former Rangers player, joins the club after a successful stint at Hearts, where he led the team to a second-place finish this season.
McInnes had previously turned down the opportunity to manage Rangers in 2017, but he stated: “It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role given the club’s structure and leadership.” Rangers finished third last month, ten points adrift of the top spot, and McInnes acknowledged the high expectations: “The demands here are clear, and our supporters rightfully have high expectations. It is up to me, my staff and my players to meet those expectations.”
Röhl, who replaced Russell Martin as head coach in October last year, will move to the Austrian Bundesliga side after a seven-figure compensation package was agreed. The performance manager, Sascha Lense, and the first-team analyst, Tristan Steiner, will also leave Ibrox. Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh thanked Röhl for his service: “I’d like to thank Danny for his service and commitment to Rangers. He and his staff put in a significant amount of hard work during his time in charge, which we are greatly appreciative of. We wish them the best of luck moving forward.”
Röhl made an encouraging start to his Rangers tenure, hauling the team into title contention after inheriting a side in the bottom six following a dire start under Martin. However, the 37-year-old German came under fire in the closing weeks of the season as Rangers capitulated after the split, losing four games in a row.
