Rangers: Giovanni van Bronckhorst's 12 months at Ibrox in 12 pictures
- Published
Twelve months. Twelve pictures.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's anniversary as Rangers manager was only marked on Friday, but he won't enjoy a second following his sacking by the Ibrox board on Monday.
Here, BBC Scotland looks back on his brief tenure in a dozen photographs after the Dutchman became the Rangers manager with the third-shortest tenure in the club's history.
1. Ominous beginnings
Giovanni van Bronckhorst takes his seat in a box at Hampden before formally taking charge of Rangers the following day. Despite the optimism, the Scottish Premiership league leaders were humbled 3-1 by Hibernian in the League Cup semi-final in a hint of the task he would go on to face
2. Finding form in Europe
In his first game in the dugout, Van Bronckhorst helped steer Rangers into the Europa League knockout round as an Alfredo Morelos double downed Sparta Prague. The result would turn what had been a patchy European campaign under predecessor Steven Gerrard into an historic one
3. Title defence topples
When Van Bronckhorst took charge of his first Scottish Premiership game, his side were four points clear of Celtic. In February, Rangers were dismantled 3-0 in his maiden Old Firm derby as a manager, leaving his team in second place, where they would stay
4. Wunderbar
One of the high points in Van Bronckhorst's short tenure came against the mighty Borussia Dortmund. On 17 February, the Germans were stunned 4-2 at home, before a 2-2 draw at Ibrox the following week gave Rangers an incredible victory. It was the moment that properly propelled the Ibrox club's belief to another level in Europe
5. Old Firm revenge
By the time the Old Firm met at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, Celtic were six points clear in the league. However, Van Bronckhorst's team came from behind at Hampden thanks to Scott Arfield and an extra-time Carl Starfelt own goal. Iconic Rangers kitman Jimmy Bell, pictured, passed away the following day aged 69
6. Sensational semi-final, second leg
With hopes of defending their league title hanging by a thread, Rangers again delivered at home on the European stage. After a 1-0 Europa League semi-final defat away to RB Leipzig, a jaw-dropping 3-1 triumph in Glasgow booked a place in Seville's final against Eintracht Frankfurt
7. Sick in Seville
This was the moment that could have changed the course of Van Bronckhorst's legacy. After Joe Aribo had Rangers in front, Rafael Borre equalised before later slotting in the winning spot kick on a night of high drama in Seville. The villain would be Aaron Ramsay, the high-profile loan signing from Juventus, who would come on and fail to score in the tense shootout
8. Ending the season with silverware
Just days after that Europa League final disappointment in Spain, Van Bronckhorst and Rangers returned to Glasgow to lift the Scottish Cup. Extra-time goals from Ryan Jack and Scott Wright sealed the Ibrox club's first triumph in the tournament in 13 years. It would salve the pain of Celtic's stroll to reclaim the Premiership title and offer some optimism for the 2022-23 season
9. Careful what you wish for
Van Bronckhorst guided his team through the Champions League qualifiers to mix it with the big boys of Europe. Under sunny Amsterdam skies above the Johan Cruyff Arena, the Dutchman was humbled in his homeland as a new-look Ajax battered his team 4-0 in their opening group game
10. Liverpool hit seven to lump on pressure
Returning to the Champions League should have been a dream for Van Bronckhorst. Instead, it turned into a nightmare. After that defeat in Amsterdam, another five would follow, including this 7-1 hammering by Liverpool at Ibrox, despite the home side initially going in front. Rangers made unwanted history with the worst record of any team in the Champions League era
11. Beginning of the end
In the middle of October, European woes started to creep into domestic displays, too. It took a 90th-minute John Lundstram goal to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Livingston, a result which would leave his team four points adrift of Celtic. It would signal the start of a poor run of form which would ultimately lead to the manager's dismissal one month on
12. Full-time
In the six games to follow that draw with Livingston, Rangers would win just two, culminating in a 1-1 draw away to St Mirren earlier this month. Speaking to the BBC Scotland afterwards, Van Bronckhorst said "you never know" when asked if he thought he'd be given the chance to turn things around with Celtic's lead at the summit stretched to nine points