Rangers reaction: Clement's frank views on Hagi red card and inside talks with 'really down' player

Philippe Clement has stressed that Ianis Hagi’s red card against St Johnstone was down to lack of match practice rather than malice as the returning Rangers star endured a night of contrasting emotions.

Hagi was sent off with ten minutes left of his side's 2-0 victory after catching striker Benji Kimpioka high on the leg with an unnecessary challenge in the middle of the park. Rangers were already two goals in front thanks to a double from Vaclav Cerny, who went from villain to hero in the space of five days.

The winger missed an open goal to put Rangers in front against Lyon on Thursday night and was targeted by some fans following the Ibrox side’s eventual 4-1 defeat.

Ianis Hagi was sent off on his Rangers return. | SNS Group

Hagi, meanwhile, has not played for Rangers for 14 months due to a contract dispute but returned to the matchday squad last night for the first time since August 2023. The playmaker replaced Ross McCausland at half time, set up Cerny’s second goal and then was sent off after 80 minutes in an eventful cameo.

Clement backed the red card decision, which was upgraded from a yellow following a VAR review, after initially questioning it.

“I had the feeling that there was not much intensity, and I had a really big doubt about the red card, but if I see the images, it's a clear red card,” said the Rangers manager. “There's no intensity in the tackle, it's more clumsy. A clumsy challenge from a player who's tired at that moment. It's really like an attacking player making a foul. Ianis didn't have any intentions to tackle in that way. It was unlucky, but it's a clear red card, so I’ve nothing to say about that.”

Clement is planning to make Hagi aware of what he expects of Rangers players when it comes to tackling. He loathes reckless challenges and was particularly outspoken when the then St Johnstone player Diallang Jaiyesimi was sent off last season for a high tackle on John Lundstram at Ibrox after a VAR review. Hagi’s challenge was also the subject of a VAR review and the player would have known what was coming.

Philippe Clement salutes the Rangers fans. | SNS Group

“I cannot be disappointed in him, because he's just in the building, in that way, training with us,” said Clement with reference to Hagi, who has been training away from the first team in recent weeks. “One of my main principles is that I don't want that kind of challenge. I don't want that people raise their feet.

“That's clear for everybody in the squad, but Ianis, we didn't speak yet about those things, so it's a harsh lesson in that way. But I don't think it will be a really big, big suspension, because you see it's not with big intensity, and it's more of an unlucky one, but it's a clear one.

“You see also that he lacks rhythm, and that's normal in this moment," added the Belgian, who now sees Hagi head off to join Romania for games against Cyprus and Lithuania. "I hope he can get minutes with the national team, that he can come back with good health, and that we can work really well with him in the next few weeks and months to get him to his best level.”

Meanwhile, Clement has praised Cerny for his mental fortitude after the player endured brickbats after his Europa League miss last week. The winger now has three goals since arriving on loan from Wolfsburg in July but it’s fair to say the start of his Ibrox career has not been plane-sailing. However, he was hailed by home fans last night when he was replaced after 73 minutes after well-taken goals in each half. Now his manager hopes he kicks on.

“I'm really happy for him, because from the first moment he came into this club, he's been working really hard for the team,” said Clement. “He was really down after Thursday, by missing that chance, and he felt really responsible in that way, because he knew it was a really important moment in the beginning of the game.

Vaclav Cerny's double earned Rangers victory. | SNS Group

“If you score there, you have a totally different momentum in the game, and it can be a different game then. He talked about that with me, and it was a really open and good talk. But he didn't lose any of my confidence. He showed what I wanted to see, after the disappointment, to react and to keep composure and not start to doubt.

"I'm really happy for him with two quality goals, but also on the ball, and without the ball doing the right stuff for the team. He's going to get more and more important minutes and moments the next couple of months, because he's just in the building and starting to get to know the rest of the team and the way to run, the way to pass, when to do it, to create these automatisms. So I'm really pleased with him, not only as a football player, but also as a person.”