Pedro Caixinha Officially Named Rangers Manager

Scottish club Rangers officially introduced former Al-Gharafa manager Pedro Caixinha as their new boss on Saturday.

The club announced the news on their official website. Managing director Stewart Robertson commented on the appointment, saying:

"

We are delighted to welcome Pedro to Rangers. We compiled a shortlist of high-quality candidates for the position but we knew after our initial meeting with Pedro that he was the right man to take this club forward.

He is a man of great experience and authority and the Board has no doubt he will help us achieve our long-term goals. I would like to thank the Rangers supporters for their patience throughout the process but we were determined to appoint the best candidate possible.

"

Per the report, interim caretaker Graeme Murty will be in charge of Sunday's pivotal derby against Celtic. Caixinha will take over on Monday.

Caixinha expressed his delight at taking charge of the iconic club:

"

It is a great honour to join Rangers Football Club. This Club has a great history and tradition and I am proud to follow in the footsteps of legendary Rangers managers like Walter Smith, Graeme Souness and Jock Wallace.

Rangers is a name that is known worldwide and I am looking forward to forging a positive relationship with supporters and meeting the playing squad and staff at the Club.

"

The Portuguese isn't exactly a well-known name in the world of football, having spent the last few years in Mexico and Qatar.

Betting company Paddy Power noted some Rangers fans may be confused:

Rangers had been without a permanent manager since Mark Warburton left the club in February in odd circumstances. As reported by the BBC, the club released a statement announcing they had accepted his resignation, but the tactician denied resigning, leading to an uncomfortable standoff.

Rivals Celtic lead the Scottish league by a huge margin, with Rangers currently sitting third, six points behind Aberdeen. While the battle for the European tickets is all but over, the Old Firm derby remains one of the highlights of the season.

Waiting to hand Caixinha the reigns is likely a smart move from Rangers―it would have been harsh to put that kind of pressure on him straight away.