Rangers manager Philippe Clement has suggested that the £9m transfer of Alejandro Pozuelo whilst he was at Genk proves that he’s seen it all in a title tussle.
The Ibrox gaffer has guided his Rangers team to the top of the Scottish Premiership but only two points separate the Gers from Old Firm rivals Celtic.
With 11 games to go it promises to be a tight title run-in and Philippe Clement was asked about his experiences in Belgium with hard-fought title victories.
The Rangers manager went on to discuss two major incidents whilst he was in charge of Genk during their league winning campaign of 2018/19.
And the detailed responses will give Rangers fans a little to think about when it comes to how Philippe Clement deals with hurdles whilst on the hunt for glory.
Philippe Clement on Alejandro Pozuelo
Speaking specifically about key player Alejandro Pozuelo, Philippe Clement discussed losing the playmaker in the January window.
MLS side FC Toronto activated a £9m ($11m) release clause in the Spanish midfielder’s Genk contract before offering him silly money to make the switch to North America.
Philippe Clement explained that in Belgium plenty believed the situation would buckle Genk’s title tilt and the Rangers manager is certainly no stranger to surprises in a 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,” said Clement. “Because there was a clause that he could do that without the club doing something.
“So I could not be angry with the club. I stopped it in January with talks with him but in the end he went.
“He explained to me with tears in his eyes that he could not quit this opportunity because it was something that would not only help him and his wife but also his children, moneywise.
“So at the end you need to let him go, you don’t have the power to stop it. So it was a big blow and everybody was saying ‘with Genk it is finished now’.”
Genk challenges prime Rangers manager
The situation with Alejandro Pozeulo wasn’t the only hurdle Rangers manager Philippe Clement had to clear with Genk that season.
The Gers boss also had to call in a specialist to help defend Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi after he was banned for nine games.
The midfielder had been adjudged to kick out at a rival after falling in a Belgian Pro League match before the competition’s playoff.
“The last game before the playoffs, the other very important midfielder (Ruslan) Malinovskyi got a red card,” said Clement. “He got a suspension for nine games, nine.
“Because he fell down and with his foot he touched the chest of another player and the committee said nine games.
“I went crazy in my head – because you lose your number 10, we didn’t have another 10 of high quality there, and you lose your number 8 also.
“But for me the nine games was a crazy result because he fell down, and I know something about hips because I had a hip operation already.
“Because of the movement when your hip (swings legs down) it either (swings leg back) or it breaks.
“So I went to a professor and asked ‘am I right?’ He said ‘yes you are right’. So I asked him to go with me to the committee and we went together to explain the story and the committee understood and he got 0 games.
“So they come back on the decision because it was pure biomechanics. In the end we won the title but there were a lot of stories before.”
Next up for Rangers is a trip to Kilmarnock as Ibrox manager Philippe Clement looks to make it ten wins from ten games since the winter break.
