How £9m MLS transfer primed Rangers manager Philippe Clement for title tussle.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement believes that the £9 million transfer of Alejandro Pozuelo while he was at Genk demonstrates that he has seen it all in a title battle.
Despite leading Rangers to the top of the Scottish Premiership, they are only two points ahead of Old Firm rivals Celtic.
With 11 games remaining in the title run-in, Philippe Clement shared his experiences in Belgium with hard-fought title victories.
The Rangers manager discussed two big instances from Genk’s 2018/19 league-winning season.
The detailed comments will provide Rangers supporters with insight into Philippe Clement’s approach to overcoming obstacles on his path to success.
Philippe Clement on Alejandro Pozuelo
Philippe Clement spoke specifically about losing crucial player Alejandro Pozuelo during the January transfer window.
FC Toronto activated a £9 million ($11 million) release clause in the Spanish midfielder’s Genk contract before promising him exorbitant compensation to go to North America.
Philippe Clement noted that many in Belgium assumed the issue would jeopardize Genk’s title hopes, and the Rangers manager is no stranger to surprises during the season.
“Three weeks before the playoffs, our playmaker and the guy where all the offensive football was built around, he left to go to MLS,” Clement said. “Because there was a condition that allowed him to do so without requiring the club to do anything.
“So I couldn’t be angry at the club.” I stopped it in January after talking with him, but he eventually left.
“He stated to me, with tears in his eyes, that he couldn’t pass up this opportunity because it would benefit not only him and his wife, but also his children financially.
“So in the end, you have to let him go because you don’t have the power to stop it. So that was a massive blow, and everyone was saying, “With Genk, it’s over now.”
Genk challenges prime Rangers manager
The incident with Alejandro Pozeulo was not the only one Rangers manager Philippe Clement had with Genk that season.
The Gers manager also had to call in a specialist to help defend Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, who was banned for nine games.
The midfielder had been ordered to kick out at a competitor after colliding in a Belgian Pro League match prior to the competition’s playoff.
“The last game before the playoffs, the other very important midfielder (Ruslan) Malinovskyi got a red card,” Clement went on to say. “He was suspended for nine games, nine.
“Because he fell and touched another player’s chest with his foot, the committee said nine games.”
“I went mad in my head because you lost your number 10, and we didn’t have another 10 of great quality there, so you also lost your number 8.
“But for me, the nine games were a weird result because he fell down, and I know a little about hips because I’ve previously had one.
“Because of the movement, when your hip (swings legs down), it either swings the leg back or breaks.
“So I asked a professor, ‘Am I right?'” He answered, “Yes, you are correct.” So I invited him to accompany me to the committee, and we went together to describe the story. The committee understood, and he received no games.
“So they reconsidered the choice because it was purely biomechanical. In the end, we won the title, but there had been many stories before.”
Rangers’ next game is against Kilmarnock, with manager Philippe Clement aiming for ten consecutive wins since the winter break.
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