Liputan6.com, Jakarta Scottish giants Rangers surprisingly announced the sacking of their head coach, Russell Martin, on Sunday, October 5, 2025.
This drastic decision came after Martin had been in charge for just 123 days, making him the shortest-serving manager in the club's history.
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During that brief period, Russell Martin led the team for just 17 matches across all competitions.
The dismissal followed a series of disappointing results for Rangers at the start of the 2025/2026 season.
The culmination of this series of bad results was a 1-1 draw against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, which became Russell Martin's final match.
What Really Caused Russel Martin's Dismissal?
The decision to dismiss Russell Martin was inextricably linked to the team's performance, which fell far short of expectations.
Rangers managed just one win in their first seven league matches, a record-breaking start to a season, matching the club's previous record.
This situation left them in eighth place in the Scottish Premiership, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine points behind arch-rivals Celtic.
They were humiliated 9-1 on aggregate by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round in August 2025.
This crushing defeat destroyed the club's ambitions of reaching the group stage of Europe's most prestigious tournament.
After their Champions League failure, Rangers began their Europa League campaign with two defeats, losing to Genk and Sturm Graz.
Statistically, Russell Martin has won only five of his 17 matches in charge, resulting in the worst win rate for a permanent Rangers manager at 29.4%.
Police Escort Incidents
Continuous poor results fueled growing anger and frustration among Rangers fans.
Pressure from a large and vocal fan base was a significant factor in the decision to sack Russell Martin.
Fan protests and dissatisfaction were evident on numerous occasions.
The most known incident happened after the match against Falkirk, where Russell Martin required a police escort to leave the stadium, as reported by LBC.
In fact, the angry fans tried to stop and block the team bus.
Fan protests have previously been seen at other matches, including the Scottish League Cup win against Hibernian on September 20, 2025.
Banners reading "Martin Out" were prominently displayed in the stands.
Club Statement and Russell Martin Brief Managerial Career
Rangers Football Club released an official statement confirming the dismissal.
“Rangers Football Club confirms that it has parted company with head coach Russell Martin. While all transition periods require some time, results have not met the club’s expectations.”
The club also expressed its gratitude for the efforts of Martin and his staff and wished them the best for the future.
Along with Martin, assistant coach Matt Gill and first-team coach Mike Williamson were also dismissed, marking a complete overhaul of the coaching staff.
Before joining Rangers, Russell Martin had a varied managerial history.
He was previously sacked by Southampton in December 2024 after a poor start to the Premier League season, despite his success to led Southampton's promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in May 2024.
Martin was appointed Rangers head coach in June 2025 on a three-year contract.
However, his tenure ended prematurely after just 123 days, become the shortest-serving manager in Rangers history.