Former Rangers boss resigns from latest club as six-month spell reaches conclusion

Announcement comes only weeks after ex Rangers and Sunderland gaffer offered fans a refund after defeat

Former Rangers boss Michael Beale has resigned from his position as Zulte-Waregem manager after six months in charge.

The ex-QPR and Sunderland man had a bright start to his career in Belgium, however a run of six consecutive Pro League defeats put his position on thin ice. Despite receiving a vote of confidence from club Director of Football Niels Leroy, the 46-year old has now decided to walk away.

The signs were there that Beale was struggling on the continent. On October 24, he offered to ‘personally refund’ Zulte-Waregem supporters who made the trip to La Louviere after a 3-0 defeat. Since then, they’ve suffered another two defeats - the most recent of which was a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Sint-Truidense.

Beale was in charge of Zulte-Waregem for six months. | BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Beale walks away from latest role

A statement from Zulte-Waregem read: “Following several internal discussions between the head coach and the club, both parties decided to terminate the collaboration by mutual agreement. We thank Michael for his professionalism and commitment during his time at Essevee. Steve Colpaert will prepare the upcoming matches as head coach.”

At Rangers, Beale played an integral role in helping the club to their 55th league title when he was first team coach under Steven Gerrard. He subsequently took on his first full-time role at QPR before returning to Rangers as boss but was sacked after a year in charge. Beale was then appointed gaffer at Sunderland but was also dismissed, this time after just two months at the helm. The Zulte-Waregem gig was his first management role since his disastrous Stadium of Light spell.

Beale personally refunded Zulte-Waregem fans after a defeat earlier in the season. | BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Why did Beale ‘personally refund’ Zulte-Waregem fans?

A poignant moment in Beale’s short career in Belgium came at the Easi Arena when he offered the away fans a refund. After their defeat to La Louviere, he explained his decision. He said: "I feel sorry for the fans who came here on a horrible evening. This is not an accurate reflection of the club and the players.

“We were not good enough. So I will personally refund our fans their ticket price. I have already let them know this after the game when I spoke to them, because I don't want them to have to pay for a team that puts on such a performance. There were so many things that made me unhappy during the match. We have to realise that we have a long and difficult season ahead of us. We need to do much better than we showed It has to improve, because this isn't the image we want to project. It's a humbling performance. Many players need to raise their game."