Report details the bevvy session that was the beginning of the end for van Bronckhorst

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s swift descent from managing in the Europa League Final to unemployment was apparently sealed during the pre-season trip to the Algarve.

The feel good factor was still strong despite collapsing in the SPFL title race and facing two rounds of qualifiers to join Celtic in the Champions League.

Losing the SPFL title after starting 2022 with a six point lead was a sore one for loyal bears to take on board but they comforted themselves by beating Celtic on route to winning the Scottish Cup and beating ‘Champions League’ sides such as Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the Europa League.

Pre-season training camps are a serious business these days, every aspect of fitness is monitored, but a little downtime helps cement relationships between players and management.

Back in July it seems that some liberties were taken leading to the demise and downfall of van Bronckhorst.

The Athletic reports:

Various sources confirmed to The Athletic that there was a disagreement on the final day of that Algarve trip between the Dutchman and a group of senior players after they consumed more alcohol than permitted in the team hotel.

It was not the sort of major row that caused lasting damage, but people close to the players doubted whether disobedience would have occurred under Van Bronckhorst’s predecessor Steven Gerrard.

It can hardly be argued that Van Bronckhorst is a soft touch. You do not win over a century of caps for the Netherlands, the Champions League with Barcelona and the Premier League with Arsenal, or play with some of the greatest players and biggest personalities in the game, and not have inner steel or a fiery side.

Van Bronckhorst saw how compatriot and chief-disciplinarian Dick Advocaat operated at Rangers and how ruthless and unsparing he could be when a player stepped out of line. There was evidence that he could be ruthless, too, in the way he handled Alfredo Morelos.

Senior players covers the majority of the Ibrox squad, with a few getting another year of contract during the summer.

Whoever takes over as manager has a big rebuild on their hands, if they also have to clamp down on a drinking culture the task has just increased even further.