Rangers chief executive Jim Gillespie insists the club gave Danny Rohl permission to move to RB Salzburg because it allowed them to bring in the manager they really wanted - Derek McInnes.
The Ibrox club granted the German the chance to speak to Salzburg after an official approach was made, and immediately made their own contact with Hearts in order to set the wheels in motion to bring McInnes to Glasgow.
Both deals went through with all parties getting their wish, Rohl confirmed as the Austrians' new head coach last week and McInnes quickly installed as his replacement.
Gillespie insists the move to bring the former Ibrox midfielder back to the club was not reactionary, he was the man they wanted and the interest in Rohl allowed that to become a reality.
In today's press conference, the CEO was asked about the whole process, especially given the club had backed Rohl at last season's end.
He said: "We gave Danny our backing in May as you say. Things evolve over time. The decision for Danny to move on was our decision, Rangers Football Club’s decision.
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"Danny was contracted to Rangers and had no buyout, so ultimately, we could have told RB Salzburg he wasn't for sale.
"But we decided that we wanted to bring Derek in, and that was the motivation to let Danny go and bring Derek in because he was a man that we had already highlighted as a man to bring success to Rangers."
Asked why the 54-year-old was the correct man for Rangers, he went on: "The first thing is, I think it’s self-explanatory the quality that he brings. I think to come to a club like Rangers you must have that quality.
"But he brings standards and he brings leadership, and he brings intangibles. When you’re at the weight of not just the Rangers manager but to be part of Rangers at an executive level, you have to understand and have that character. So that’s why we think Derek was the only candidate for the role.
"Derek understands the model that we have - the football model. We have Dan Purdy, who’s our Technical Director and looks after recruitment, scouting, and analysis. As you saw in yesterday’s announcement, we’re delighted to appoint Stig (Inge Bjornebye) as our Performance Director who will oversee the medical, sports science, and the academy. Dan and Stig will also work on the strategic direction of the football team. Derek will work within that model, and there’s no real difference between what Derek and Danny's role was. U
"ltimately, we gave a nod to the history of this football club. It was important to Derek and important to us that we done that, and that’s why he’s the Rangers manager."
