Rangers consider move to hire Christian Nerlinger for behind-the-scenes Ibrox role
Christian Nerlinger has been considered for Rangers’ vacant director of football role, as reported by The Athletic.
According to the report (17 June), the former Bayern Munich Sporting Director is one of several potential targets to take over the role at Ibrox which has been vacant since April.
Ross Wilson, the club’s former director of football, switched Scotland for England and left the club to become chief football officer at Nottingham Forest.
He had been in his position since October 2019 and the Glasgow giants have now been using a headhunting agency to find his replacement.
Atlanta United’s vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra, who represented Rangers during his playing career, has been interviewed for the position.
Big name
The 50-year-old former midfielder could potentially be viewed as a brilliant hire from the club’s perspective. Nerlinger has experience in the game at the highest level both as a player and a club official.
The former midfielder played for both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and then became a manager, managing Bayern Munich’s first team during the 2008/09 season before becoming sporting director in 2009 for three years.
His experience includes operating with legends of football such as Arjen Robben, Philip Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger which demonstrates the high-level environment he was working in.
One slight concern is that since 2012, which is now over a decade ago, Nerlinger has worked as a player-manager for his own external agency, rather than in an official boardroom position within a club. Therefore, he might be rusty and his methods could be dated having spent so long away from an official club position.