Danny Rohl’s move from Rangers to Red Bull Salzburg is being held up by trickier-than-expected negotiations, and the clock is ticking.
Sky Sports confirmed on Monday that Rohl is set to become Salzburg’s new head coach, with the Light Blues receiving £2million in compensation.
The German tactician was expected to be unveiled no later than Monday, but the Austrian Bundesliga giants are yet to announce his arrival, raising questions about the deal.
It has now been revealed that the announcement has been delayed by sticking points around Rohl’s backroom team, specifically the positions of assistants Matthias Kaltenbach and Sascha Lense, whose futures are yet to be resolved between the two clubs.
With Salzburg’s players returning to pre-season training on Wednesday morning and only one first-team coach currently available to put them through their paces, the pressure to conclude an agreement is intensifying by the hour.
Now that Danny Rohl seems set to leave Rangers, how would you rate his time at the club?
Backroom talks holding up deal as Salzburg face pre-season crisis
According to the Daily Record, both Rangers and Salzburg expect to reach an agreement on the backroom situation imminently, clearing the way for Rohl’s appointment to be formally announced, and for Derek McInnes to be unveiled as the 22nd Rangers manager later this week.
Rangers Review has added further detail, confirming that goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo will not be following Rohl to Austria, while set-piece specialist Scott Fry is also staying at Ibrox.
Fry’s appointment was a club-driven decision by the Rangers hierarchy in November rather than Rohl’s personal choice.
The news compounds an already difficult start to life at Salzburg for Rohl.
Before he has even been officially announced, the club have lost captain Mads Bidstrup, who has opted for a £10m move to Lyon rather than remain part of any new project under the incoming head coach.
What would your concerns be about Derek McInnes replacing Danny Rohl?
What it means for Rangers
For McInnes, the delay is a minor inconvenience, but every day lost is a day less preparation time before the Gers’ own pre-season begins.
The sooner the Rohl announcement is made official, the sooner the new era at Ibrox can properly begin.
For the German, the Salzburg move represents a huge step in his career, as he is already being lined up for the hot seat at Red Bull’s flagship club, RB Leipzig.
