Steven Gerrard is the hot favourite for a return to the Ibrox hotseat this summer, but details of his departure from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq will leave Rangers fans doubtful.
With the 49ers Enterprises takeover, expectations for change on the pitch will be understandably high for Rangers fans, but the task of finding a new head coach will take first priority.
Despite James Tavernier backing Barry Ferguson for the permanent job, an outside appointment seems more plausible, with Gerrard the widely predicted permanent successor to Philippe Clement.
It’s understood that Gerrard is keen on a Rangers return, which is unsurprising given his current career position, but details about the way his Al-Ettifaq stint ended could make 49ers Enterprises think twice about a nostalgia appointment.
Steven Gerrard waived £10m in Al-Ettifaq departure
Moving to manage in Saudi Arabia was always a risk for the SPL-winning ‘Gers boss, but it was made even worse when Gerrard was nearly sacked by Al-Ettifaq for below-par performances.
Gerrard would eventually leave the role by mutual consent, but according to new details reported by the Daily Record, the Liverpool icon made an eye-watering financial sacrifice to prevent further reputational damage.
The report quoted the head of the Al-Ettifaq football committee, Hatim Al-Mashaal, as saying: “Gerrard waived his dues in order to leave Al-Ettifaq. Gerrard waived half of his contract with Al-Ettifaq, and the other part has been scheduled.
“He waived £10 million because if the club had been relegated with him, it would have caused a crisis in his coaching career. So the agreement to leave was a mutual one between the club and the coach.”
Whilst it is admirable to walk away from such sums, the underlying narrative is that Gerrard was failing in the Saudi Pro League. He may well be next up in the Rangers hot seat, but analysing how Al Ettifaq have fared since Gerrard left the club further emphasises his troubles in the Middle East.
Al-Ettifaq have improved since Steven Gerrard’s exit
Gerrard admitted he isn’t rushing to return to management when speaking to Peter Crouch recently, which is understandable given the intensity of being away from his family in Liverpool whilst coaching in Saudi Arabia.
However, should he become the Rangers manager once more, it should be cause for concern as to how much Al-Ettifaq have improved since Gerrard departed.
Gerrard left the Saudi side in 12th place, five points above the drop zone. However, since Saad Al-Shehri took over, the club has risen to eighth, creating a 13-point gap between the relegation places. Al-Shehri is also boasting a higher points per game average than Gerrard, 1.8 to the ex-Rangers man’s 1.1.
Whilst Gerrard’s struggles in Saudi Arabia may have also been down to external factors, there is no doubt that Al-Ettifaq were underperforming under his stewardship.
His return to Ibrox will continue to be rumoured until an appointment by the incoming Rangers owners is made, but his reputation in the game has been damaged since his time in Scotland.
