Pedro Caixinha may be closing in on a move to Rangers.
General view before the match
The president of Mexican side Club America, Ricardo Pelaez, has been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that he has no interest in Rangers target Pedro Caixinha.
The Gers have been searching for a new manager for almost a month following Mark Warburton’s departure, and they appear to have settled on their top target.
Sky Sports report that Al-Gharafa manager Pedro Caixinha is waiting to fly over to Glasgow to finalise his deal with Rangers, once Al-Gharafa’s president rubber-stamps the move.
Caixinha, 46, was the long-time assistant to fellow Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro, before embarking on a managerial career of his own with Uniao Leiria, Nacional and Mexican outfit Santos Laguna before heading to Al-Gharafa in Qatar.
In the job since December 2015, Caixinha has seemingly done enough to win the Rangers job, with his appointment expected ahead of this weekend’s Old Firm clash with Celtic.
A former Celtic scout, Caixinha has been the favourite for the Rangers job over the last week, but reports from The Express suggested that Club America were hoping to take him back to Mexico.
Pedro Caixinha
Caixinha impressed in charge of Santos Laguna, and Club America were allegedly keen to take him this summer as a replacement for current boss Ricardo La Volpe.
However, Club America’s president Ricardo Pelaez has now been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that he has no interest in Caixinha, with the speculation amusing him – whilst leaving the path clear for Rangers to appoint their top target.
“Pedro Caixinha is not an option for our coach,” said Pelaez. “It’s pure lies to suggest he will be our manager. Actually, these stories no longer cause me annoyance…just laughter,” he added.
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