Credit: No Tippy Tappy Football/Imago

Declan Carr

Thu 29 May 2025 14:27, UK

Mark Warburton endured a difficult spell in charge of Rangers.

The Englishman managed the Gers between 2015 and 2017 and left his post with the Gers sitting second in the Scottish Premiership.

The exit was controversial as the Ibrox club released a statement that the 62-year-old had resigned but he denied that had happened.

Ancelotti warned amid new Rangers developments

Davide Ancelotti has been warned about taking the vacancy after it emerged that the Light Blues board were very impressed by him.

The report from the Daily Mail (28 May) claimed that the 49ers are planning to strike a quick agreement with the Real Madrid coach as he emerged as the number one candidate.

However, Warburton has informed Ancelotti that it will not be easy to handle the expectations in Govan, especially as it would be his first role in management.

Speaking on Sky Sports (29 May, 13:33 pm), he said: “Full of respect in terms of where he has worked, the types of games that he has been involved in with his father, Carlo, is one of the very best of all time.

“It is very different being number one, there is no lack of respect on my part, just an appreciation of the number one job at Ibrox.

“A very demanding crowd, fantastic club, a huge history, and it is a big step up to be that number one role, I am sure he will find that very challenging.”

Rangers Ancelotti appointment would be a risk

Ancelotti’s lack of managerial experience should be a major concern for the new ownership, as he has worked as a coach under his father for the majority of his career.

It is a major risk appointing a man with no experience in the Scottish league as the expectations could very well prove to be too much for him.

His connections with Los Blancos should help the Light Blues in the transfer market, potentially bringing the likes of David Alaba and Ferland Mendy to Auchenhowie, which would definitely ease the transition.

However, it could go disastrously wrong and the Bears would be even further behind arch-rivals Celtic in the domestic standings, and the 49ers would be back to square one.

The managerial situation is not the only issue for the Americans to fix, the squad is in need of a major overhaul and the likes of Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are attracting interest from south of the border.

Warburton’s warning is not unjustified, the Italian is unproven and the blue side of Glasgow is a hell of a step up from his father’s shadow, whether he can handle it and prove the former Gers boss wrong, remains to be seen.