The new Rangers manager left his previous club with a few weeks of the season remaining.
Al-Gharafa are absolutely, one hundred per cent not bitter with losing their manager to Rangers before the end of the season, as reported by the Scottish Sun.
Pedro Caixinha appeared to be immediately drawn by the pulling power of Rangers, the 46-year-old upping sticks and making the move to Glasgow despite the fact that there is a number of weeks remaining in the Qatari Stars League with Al-Gharafa currently lying in fifth.
The Portuguese may be something of an unknown quantity in Scotland having spent the majority of his sole managerial career working abroad in South America and the Middle East but his uber-attacking football and winning mentality made him a well-respected figure at his former club.
Not that you would have guessed. You see, Al-Gharafa are totally unfazed despite losing their coach at a crucial point of the season. Honestly.
“Frankly, coach Caixinha’s departure was going to come at the end of the season anyway,” Head of Football Mahmoud Al-Ghazal said in quotes reported by the Scottish Sun.
“With Caixinha, he invoked the penalty clause he had in his contract to leave and he surprised us with his desire to sign for Rangers. After careful consideration of the situation and his strong requests to go to the Scottish club, we decided to accept this.
“By that I mean that his contract was expiring and, in all probability he would have left anyway, so we invoked the penalty clause and gained financially out of it.
“It was good business by us.”
According to the Daily Mail, Rangers had to pay £300,000 to release Caixinha from his contract in Qatar. Whether that decision will prove to be madness or masterstroke is anyone’s guess with the 46-year-old arriving as a hugely left-field appointment.
However, he offers hope of genuine change at Ibrox and, armed with an exciting managerial philosophy and fresh ideas, he certainly promises more anticipation than the underwhelming yet safe alternatives a la Alex McLeish.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
