Won the “Old Firm”, back in the championship fight, euphorically praised by the fans: Danny Röhl is riding a wave of success as coach of Glasgow Rangers. The victory over long-term rivals Celtic last weekend is the culmination of the rise of a great German coaching talent.
When Danny Röhl talks about his previous success at Glasgow Rangers, the unsuccessful debut quickly comes to mind. That was at the end of October, the Rangers looked extremely bad in the 3-0 defeat at Brann Bergen in the Europa League. “When I look back at my first game in Bergen, it was such a difficult moment“, says Röhl: “Now, two and a half months later, it’s a completely different moment.”
In fact, his team presented itself completely differently in this desolate performance in Norway than in their most recent successes. “This game gives me a lot of information. You can see exactly where we currently stand. My job is to find solutions as quickly as possible.”Röhl had said after the bankruptcy against Brann.
At the time, Röhl clearly took responsibility for the fans who traveled with him: “I apologized for our introduction. It’s hard when you travel so far here and then see a 3-0 defeat. I now have to build the team up and give them solutions.”
Focused view: Danny Röhl at the “Old Firm” between Celtic and Rangers
Röhl table: Rangers best Scottish team
Röhl has now presented the quick solutions he himself demanded. The 36-year-old has been on the sidelines twelve times in the league so far; his team has won nine of these games and lost only once. In the “Röhl table” from the ninth matchday onwards, the Rangers are at the top of the table. The Rangers caught up with the second-placed Celtics on points with a 3-1 win in the direct duel, only the Hearts of Midlothian with German goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow kept the blue-white-reds at a distance with a six-point lead.
“We enjoy the moment“Roehl said after the win against the Celtics:”Our fans celebrate individual players and us as a group.“Röhl, who is extremely matter-of-fact in interviews, does not want to know anything about the title question despite burgeoning championship hopes in the area:”It’s about continuing on our path, nothing more and nothing less.“
Two months ago no one would have thought we could win here, even after falling behind. Today we showed that we can do it.
Röhl also recognizes the progress that the team has made under the leadership of the Zwickau native: “We believe we can score goals and win games. I love seeing that right now.” Röhl particularly likes the team structure and sees that “the group is growing together. On and off the pitch.”
Analyst Röhl works for emotional Rangers
It was not necessarily to be expected that Röhl, with his objective and analytical manner, would be well received in an emotional environment like the 55-time Scottish champions. Röhl is not a guy like Jürgen Klopp, who inspires with his style, nor is José Mourinho, who inspires with bold and amusing statements.
It is obviously the football content with which Röhl can score points for the Ragners. It’s no secret that the football teacher has excellent professional training. After Röhl had to end his active career in the league at the age of 20 due to a torn cruciate ligament, he embarked on a coaching career early on. At just 21, Röhl became “head of youth game analysis” at RB Leipzig, the beginning of a rapid coaching career.
As an assistant coach, Röhl was promoted to the Bundesliga with RB in 2016, and through positions in Southampton and Bayern Munich, Röhl joined the German national team in the summer of 2021: At the age of just 32, Röhl became an assistant coach under Hansi Flick. As is well known, the 2022 World Cup did not go well for the DFB team, and Röhl and Flick were released in September 2023.
Danny Röhl (r.) next to national coach Hansi Flick on the sidelines
First Head coach station at Sheffield Wednesday
His end at the DFB was also a beginning for the coach with a master’s degree in game analysis: Röhl took on his first job as head coach at Sheffield Wednesday in October 2023. Röhl led the traditional English club from the bottom of the second division table to midfield and would probably still be the coach today if the club hadn’t gotten into financial difficulties. In the summer of 2025, Wednesday announced their amicable separation after the club repeatedly failed to pay salaries to players and employees.
Sheffield is currently in last place in the Championship with just one win and a double point deduction, but the separation has had a positive effect for Röhl. With the Rangers, Röhl and his largely German coaching team are preparing to intervene in the Scottish championship fight.
The first six teams in the “Scottish Premiership” after 33 match days will play the champions in direct comparisons in the final round. When Röhl took office, the Rangers were 13 points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian, but now they are still six points – dreams of the title do not seem unrealistic.
“Daddy Cool” rewritten for Danny Röhl
And so the Scottish fans celebrate their new coach. Already in Sheffield they sang about Röhl based on Boney M’s “Daddy Cool” with “Danny, Danny Röhl… Danny, Danny Röhl“. More lines were added at Rangers’ Ibrox Park.”He’s got us playing electric, he fucking hates the Celtic” is what comes from the stands after victories. Praise for your own “electrifying” style of play – and a swipe at arch-rivals Celtic Glasgow.
If Röhl’s steep upward trajectory continues, a return to the Bundesliga is conceivable in the future – this time as head coach. As early as May 2025, Röhl said in “Kicker” that he “in the near future, we would like to be at the highest possible level“I want to work. The Bundesliga is”of course an issue“. For now, “Danny Cool” will concentrate on the Rangers in order to be able to look back on a difficult start as champions.