The Portuguese manager will be hoping to one day take Rangers back among Europe’s elite.
New Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha in the stands
Rangers took many by surprise with their choice of replacement for Mark Warburton. They gave the role to Portuguese manager Pedro Caixinha, who left his role as manager of Qatari side Al-Garafah in order to take up the role with the Glasgow side.
The move to Ibrox seemed something of a surprise for the club and the manager, but looking back on an interview with Marca in June 2015 it is perhaps clearer why he decided he wanted the Rangers job.
He explained to the the Spanish paper, whilst still boss at Mexican side Santos Laguna, that he had plans of managing in the Champions League.
He stated:
“Yes, I certainly have the enthusiasm and ambition (to manage in the Champions League.)”
Those comments clearly resonate toward Rangers. Right now they are still looking someway off of playing in Europe’s elite again.
But in the past Rangers have been regulars in the Champions League and for Caixinha this is surely one of his main goals as Rangers manager – to get them back into the European mix.
New Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha poses with a scarf after the press conference
That however will not be easy. Only one team in Scotland gets a shot at European football currently and that is the champions.
Considering that Rangers are third, ten points behind second-placed Aberdeen and there is a 35 point difference between them and local rivals Celtic, Caixinha may have to wait a while before he can taste Champions League football at Ibrox.
If he can last that long.
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