Giovanni van Bronckhorst is still someone who is well-liked by Rangers fans despite not having the best of managerial careers at the club.

The Dutchman first moved to Ibrox as a player, joining in 1998 and spending three years at the club, where he won two league titles and three cup competitions.

Then, 20 years after he left the club as a player, he returned as a manager, and managed to win the Scottish Cup during his one-year stint.

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Giovanni van Bronckhorst hands Como their first-ever European defeat

Van Bronckhorst, now in charge of Feyenoord, oversaw his side’s thrilling 3-2 win against Como. The Italian side have been the talk of this season’s Champions League, and the Dutchman saw them coming back down to earth.

The result meant that van Bronckhorst became the first-ever manager to hand Como a defeat in European competitions. While the thousand-plus Italian travelling support would not have minded it coming in the Champions League of all competitions, they certainly would not be pleased to watch their side lose in the Netherlands.

This was also a positive for Feyenoord after they suffered a 5-1 defeat to Barcelona on matchday 1. It was the first time they took on Como, and van Bronckhorst showed that he could achieve good results in Europe even if he’s not the manager at Rangers.

Why did van Bronckhorst not succeed as Rangers manager?

Despite heroics in cup competitions, van Bronckhorst ultimately struggled at Ibrox due to domestic inconsistency and a failure to sustain momentum in the Scottish Premiership. While his run to the 2022 Europa League final and Scottish Cup triumph bought him immense goodwill, his domestic league form steadily deteriorated.

Brought in as someone to improve the team domestically and make them a formidable outfit in comparison to rivals Celtic, it’s clear that he failed on that front.

After inheriting a strong side following Steven Gerrard’s departure, his side frequently dropped crucial points away from home, allowing Celtic to pull away in the title race. His tactical approach domestically was overly cautious and slow, making it difficult to break down stubborn low-block defences in the Scottish top-flight.

Compounding these domestic struggles was a historic, bruising UEFA Champions League group stage campaign in the autumn of 2022. Plagued by a mounting injury crisis, a lack of squad depth, and poor recruitment, Rangers finished without a single point and with a dismal goal difference.

Ultimately, falling nine points behind in the Premiership title race, combined with flat performances and a disconnect with supporters, left the board with little choice but to make a change during the World Cup break.