Former national team assistant coach Danny Röhl was the first German to be hired as head coach by Scottish football record champions Glasgow Rangers.
The 36-year-old received a contract at Ibrox Park until 2028 as the successor to local ex-national player Russell Martin and the fourth coach in the current calendar year.
“It is a privilege to work as a coach at such an incredible club that is recognized around the world,” said the Zwickau native when he was introduced.
Röhl has been without a club since the end of last season. The Saxon, who, according to media reports, had originally canceled the Rangers shortly after Martin’s dismissal at the beginning of the month, had previously worked as a responsible coach in professional football for the English second division club Sheffield Wednesday for the first time. Röhl gained his previous experience as an assistant coach at the top Bundesliga clubs RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich and from August 2021 to September 2023 under the then national coach Hansi Flick with the German national team.
Rangers are threatened with replacement as record champions
Röhl is only the third German coach in the Scottish upper house. Daniel Stendel sat on the bench at Heart of Midlothian for a few months until the summer of 2020, and Michael Wimmer worked at Motherwell FC last season.
The Rangers are hoping for new impetus from Röhl after a false start in sixth place with only nine points from the eight games so far. “Danny has worked in some of the most demanding environments where winning is the only expectation,” explained Glasgow sporting director Kevin Thelwell: “That prepared him well for Rangers.”
In the eternal duel with arch-rivals Celtic Glasgow, the Rangers have been fighting for competitiveness for years. In the past 14 seasons, the Rangers have only won the title once and, after Celtic’s 55th championship, have to fear being replaced as record champions next summer.