'Faced difficult circumstances': Giovanni van Bronckhorst breaks silence on Rangers sacking

Giovanni van Bronckhorst says he faced “unique challenges” and “difficult circumstances” at Rangers as he broke his silence over his sacking earlier in the week.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked by Rangers on Monday.

The Dutchman was relieved of his duties at Ibrox just over a year in charge of the club. He led Rangers to the Europa League final and group stages of the Champions League but paid the price for poor form in the cinch Premiership, with Rangers currently nine points behind Celtic in the title race. Michael Beale, the current manager of QPR and a former Rangers coach, is expected to succeed Van Bronckhorst.

Taking to social media, Van Bronckhorst said he was grateful to the fanbase for its support and called managing Rangers “a privilege”, but also said the landscape at Ibrox to work in was challenging. The 49-year-old wrote: “The opportunity to manage an institution like Rangers FC is a privilege which very few are afforded. As a former player, I understood the responsibility and magnitude of the task. My backroom team and I worked with energy, passion and were driven with a belief that we could achieve amazing things. We treated our roles with respect, optimism and determination.

"We experienced some incredible highs, especially on our European journey to Seville. Winning the Scottish Cup for the first time in over a decade and qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League is something I am very proud of. The passion of our support drove us on to achieve those wonderful memories. For that, I am forever grateful to every single one of you who travelled near and far, spent your hard earned money, and never gave up supporting our team.

"This season, like every year at Rangers, the first priority is domestic success. I understand the hurt when wins become draws, and worse, when we experience defeat. That isn’t acceptable at a club of Rangers standing, no one understood that and felt that more than I did. I faced unique challenges and some very difficult circumstances to operate in.

"Rangers FC will always be in my heart and I wish the club all the success for the future. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."