Pep Guardiola insisted a desire to win the Champions League was not his only motivation for signing a new Manchester City contract, but he accepts the job would feel incomplete without a European triumph.

Guardiola secured an extension at City last month, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season.

City have enjoyed vast domestic success under the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach, winning the Premier League four times out of the past five seasons.

However, a Champions League win has eluded them. They lost to Chelsea in the 2021 final and succumbed to Real Madrid in last season's semi-finals.

Guardiola knows it will be a blemish on his record if City cannot end their bad luck in the competition before he leaves.

"I admit it's the trophy that we want and of course it would not be complete – my period here – if we don't win it," Guardiola told reporters ahead of City's EFL Cup clash with Liverpool.

"But it's not the only reason I extended the contract, absolutely not. What does it mean if for the last 11 months we didn't play in the Champions League?

"Of course, I will do everything in this time we are together, we are going to try, as we tried before. Of course it's the trophy we don't have and we will try to do it."

City's trophy count under Guardiola stands at 11, but the 51-year-old is immensely grateful for the faith shown in him by the club's leadership.

"I said many times what I had here. Thank you so much for the confidence they have in me," he said. "It would be difficult to repay what in these many years, the board, all the people have shown me.

"It's difficult for me to reject them because of how they still want me and my staff, to try and do our best.

"I don't have enough words to express the incredible gratitude for this club."

After taking on Liverpool on Thursday, City restart their Premier League campaign against Leeds United on December 28. 

Paris Saint-Germain will challenge Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to follow their phenomenal World Cup feats by delivering a Champions League title in the new year.

The Qatar-owned club have European glory in their sights, and a difficult last-16 tie against Bayern Munich awaits them, with games against the German champions coming up in February and March.

After seeing Mbappe win the Golden Boot as top scorer, and Messi take the Golden Ball prize as the outstanding player, PSG undoubtedly had a strong World Cup.

The sight of Mbappe and Messi in opposition with France and Argentina, as they were in Sunday's World Cup final, will soon be replaced by them uniting on the field, possibly even by the end of the month.

PSG have a Ligue 1 game against Strasbourg on December 28, and it remains to be seen whether coach Christophe Galtier will have both men available for that game, given Messi is heading back to celebrate in Argentina in the coming days.

In a string of messages on social media, PSG addressed the two chief protagonists in the final, in which Messi scored twice and lifted the trophy, while Mbappe hit a hat-trick but finished on the beaten side.

"An extraordinary final from our two Parisians," the club said. "One of them had to win. You'll forever go down in footballing history, @leomessi.

"What a final! Bravo @leomessi, thank you @k.mbappe for all these emotions. You have been heroic. You have marked this World Cup with your talent. You should be proud."

Whatever French envy there might be towards Messi should soon subside, with a photograph of Mbappe and Messi touching hands during the game receiving plenty of love from PSG's players.

Club-mates Nuno Mendes and Danilo Pereira both posted the picture, adding emojis of applauding hands.

Midfield stalwart Marco Verratti addressed Messi's success, writing on Instagram: "You deserve it friend. Congratulations."

To Mbappe, Verratti wrote: "Head high. You showed the whole world that you're a phenomenon."

"Congratulations" was the message from defender Juan Bernat to Messi, and "Bravo to you too" he said to Mbappe.

Former PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino praised Argentina coach Scaloni, saying in a message to his compatriot: "Congratulations Lionel. Thank you!"

Addressing Messi, Pochettino added: "Deserved @leomessi. Thank you!"

PSG have never won the Champions League, and it is the footballing holy grail for them now, with each incoming coach knowing winning domestic silverware alone is not considered to be fulfilling the remit of the job.

They went closest in 2020, losing out in the final to Bayern, for whom Frenchman Kingsley Coman scored the only goal in Lisbon. Coman was one of two France players to fail from the spot in Sunday's World Cup penalty shoot-out, along with Aurelien Tchouameni.

Given the outstanding form that Messi and Mbappe have shown over the last month, PSG may never be better placed to strike for continental trophy glory.

Yet there is another matter brewing, which is that Messi and Mbappe may be in the final throes of their club alliance.

With Messi's two-year contract at PSG due to expire at the end of this season, removing uncertainty over his future might become as great a priority as the next trophy.

President Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in early December the matter would be discussed after the World Cup, with Messi having been linked with a possible end-of-season switch to Inter Miami.

Gary Lineker has outlined his hope Gareth Southgate remains with England, comparing their lack of World Cup success to Manchester City's failure to win the Champions League.

Southgate is considering his future after overseeing England's quarter-final exit against France, in which Harry Kane scored one penalty and missed another.

The Three Lions manager masterminded runs to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the final of Euro 2020, but he has attracted criticism for failing to end the team's 56-year trophy drought. 

However, former England striker Lineker believes Southgate's achievements mean he deserves the opportunity to make his own decision on his future.

"I do hope Gareth stays. I think it's right that the decision is down to him," Lineker told BBC Sport. "He's done a really good job, you've got to consider where we were a few years ago.

"Everyone thinks it's an easy job and everyone thinks: 'I'd have played him and not him, or brought him on earlier and not him'. It's very easy in hindsight.

"I think Gareth has done a really good job. The only thing you'd say about him is sometimes he hasn't changed things dramatically in games where it's not going well. 

"It's very easy to be judgemental but World Cups are not leagues. In a league, the best team always wins. In a World Cup, it's a knockout."

England won praise for a series of positive displays in Qatar, recording their highest goal tally (13) at any major tournament (World Cup or European Championships).

England also had 57 per cent possession and managed twice as many shots as France (16 to eight) in their last-eight loss, leading Lineker to compare them to Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions.

Despite winning four Premier League titles in the past five seasons, City have suffered several shock eliminations from the Champions League under Guardiola, which Lineker says is proof knockout football does not always reward the best team. 

"Take Manchester City, probably the best club side in the world, but they haven't won the Champions League and they haven't won it under Pep Guardiola, who is the best coach in the world," he added.

"No one would say, 'let's get Pep out because we haven't won the Champions League', because that would be madness. 

"We haven't won the World Cup but we're going in the right direction. England are playing really good, attractive football with lots of exciting young players. Why would you mess with it now?"

Southgate must now weigh up whether to remain in charge for England's Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, which begins with a trip to Italy on March 23.

The European Super League remains "very much alive" despite the latest legal setback, claims the chief executive of the company behind the breakaway.

Bernd Reichart, the CEO of A22 Sports Management, was speaking at an economic forum event in Spain attended by Real Madrid and Barcelona presidents Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta.

The two clubs, who along with Juventus are the holdouts of the 2021 attempt, saw an argument that UEFA's governance is an illegal monopoly on continental football struck down by the European Court of Justice on Thursday.

But Reichart has refuted the idea the competition's hopes of coming to fruition are at an end, pointing out the ruling is non-binding, with a final decision due next year.

"The Super League isn't dead, not at all, it's very much alive," he said. "We'll keep working until the judgement.

"We are still convinced that UEFA can't be everything at once. They organise the competition, they regulate the competition, and at the same time they control access to the market.

The Premier League has welcomed a declaration from the European Union Court of Justice (CJEU) that attempts to sanction European Super League clubs would be legal.

On Thursday, CJEU advocate general Athanasios Rantos dealt a blow to the Super League's supporters – including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – stating UEFA and FIFA would be acting lawfully by preventing clubs from participating in third-party competitions.

With a judgement expected in the new year, Rantos was responding to a request by a Madrid court for a ruling on whether the governing bodies could take action in accordance with competition law and fundamental freedoms.

Supporters of the Super League had argued sanctions would be incompatible with EU competition law.

But UEFA described Rantos' opinion as "an encouraging step towards preserving the existing dynamic and democratic governance structure of the European football pyramid."

Both FIFA and the European Club Association – of which Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are no longer members – have also welcomed the message.

The Premier League echoed those thoughts in a statement on Thursday, outlining its continued support for open, merit-based access to European competitions. 

"We share the advocate general's clear view that open access is fundamental to European club football," the statement read.

"Further to today's opinion, the Premier League reiterates its commitment to the principles underpinning the current balance of domestic and European competitions including open access, annual merit-based qualification from domestic leagues for European club competitions, weekends reserved for domestic football and substantial solidarity funding for football development.

"The fans' voice regarding the essential nature of sporting integrity has been heard.

"Above all, the focus of Premier League clubs is on improving the collective strength and competitiveness of the league in the best interests of the wider game.

"The Premier League will continue to engage in an open dialogue, with all relevant stakeholders, about how best to protect the complementary balance between domestic and European club football."

Each of the six English clubs involved in the Super League's ill-fated launch last year withdrew their support amid fierce opposition from supporters, players and the media.

Manuel Neuer has rocked Bayern Munich with news of his broken right leg after the club captain suffered the season-ending injury on a skiing holiday.

The goalkeeper fractured his lower right leg in a fall on Friday and has already undergone surgery, with the calamitous setback coming just days after Germany tumbled out of the World Cup in the group stage.

Bayern must decide whether second-choice keeper Sven Ulreich takes over the gloves for the rest of the season, or if Neuer's injury should prompt a move for an elite replacement in the January transfer window.

Ulreich filled in when a shoulder problem kept Neuer sidelined earlier in the season, and Bayern have won all eight games in 2022-23 when the 34-year-old has started, conceding just six goals.

Former Germany Under-21 goalkeeper Alexander Nubel is in the second year of a two-year loan to Monaco, where he has been a first-team regular, and it is not yet known whether Bayern may look to recall the 26-year-old.

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said: "The news of Manuel's injury shocked us all. We will stand by him and accompany him on his way to his comeback.

"He will also overcome this serious injury and return to the pitch as strong as before."

In a statement on the club's website, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said: "The fact that Manuel had such an accident is terrible, and of course all our thoughts are with him.

"I spoke with him yesterday and today, and the surgery went as well as possible. Manuel will receive all the support he needs.

"He is a strong personality and will come back. I wish him all the best, he can rely on FC Bayern!"

Germany boss Hansi Flick also sent his best wishes, saying: "We wish Manu a speedy recovery!"

Neuer, 36, would have been hoping to play a key role in Bayern's pursuit of silverware in the Bundesliga and Champions League after the World Cup break.

He said the injury occurred while he was "trying to get my head clear" after the misery of Germany's early exit in Qatar.

Bayern face a daunting last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, while they are due to return to Bundesliga action on January 20 against RB Leipzig.

Liverpool have contacted UEFA and Real Madrid to complain about their ticket allocation for March's Champions League last-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Jurgen Klopp's team were drawn to face the holders in a repeat of last season's final after finishing second to Serie A leaders Napoli in Group A last month.

UEFA regulations say visiting teams are entitled to at least five per cent of tickets for Champions League matches, and reports suggest Madrid took the decision for March 15's second leg due to the impact of renovations at their historic home.

However, a statement from Liverpool on Tuesday said their initial allocation of just 1,800 tickets was still "significantly less than expected" for the game.

The statement continued: "The club has contacted UEFA and Real Madrid regarding the reduced allocation to understand the rationale behind this decision.

"LFC will provide supporters with an update when the ticket allocation has been confirmed."

Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Madrid at the Stade de France in May was overshadowed by the breakdown of security outside the stadium in Paris, with fans of the English club complaining of heavy-handed policing as kick-off was twice delayed.

Declan Rice says performing on the biggest stage for England has only increased his desire to feature in the Champions League in the future, declaring: "you only get one career".

Rice has started all three of England's games at the World Cup in Qatar, helping the Three Lions top their group at the tournament for the first time since the 2006 edition in Germany. 

The West Ham midfielder has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in recent years, and his solid international displays will have done little to reduce interest in his services. 

Asked whether his desire to reach the top of the club game had increased as a result of his time with Gareth Southgate's side, Rice said: "Yeah, 100 per cent. 

"For the last two or three years I have been saying that. I have been playing consistently well for [my] club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing.

"I see my friends here who are playing in the Champions League and for big trophies. 

"You only get one career, and at the end of your career you want to look back at what you have won and the biggest games you have played in. I am really ambitious."

Rice has made seven interceptions at the World Cup so far – at least five more than any of his England team-mates, while only Jude Bellingham (18) and Luke Shaw (17) have recovered possession more often than he has for the Three Lions (14).

England take on Senegal for a place in the quarter-finals on Sunday, having progressed through five of their previous seven last-16 ties at the World Cup (failing to do so against Argentina in 1998 and Germany in 2010).

Ruben Amorim has renewed his contract as Sporting CP head coach until 2026, the club announced on Tuesday.

Amorim, 37, had been linked with Premier League clubs Chelsea and Aston Villa earlier this season but no move ever materialised.

The former Portugal international moved to Sporting in 2020 after a positive spell with Braga and went on to guide the club to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years in 2021.

Last season they finished as runners-up in Portugal's top tier, though after 13 games of the 2022-23 campaign they find themselves fourth and 12 points adrift of bitter rivals Benfica at the summit.

They also finished third in their Champions League group, subsequently dropping into the Europa League.

Nevertheless, Sporting remain committed to stability, convinced in Amorim they have one of the world's premier coaches.

"This renovation demonstrates a lot how Sporting CP works today: with discretion, efficiency and direction," president Frederico Varandas said.

"It is also a very strong sign of how today Sporting CP is a strong and stable club, with stability being the basis of all success.

"A contract of this length always obliges the people who sign it to see themselves 100 per cent in the sporting project and that there is extreme trust between both parties.

"As president of Sporting CP, I can only be very happy that we have a contract until 2026 with one of the best coaches in the world and that we will continue to make Sporting CP grow."

Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in July 2016 with the aim of "winning games to make the fans happy and proud".

Six and a half years on from his appointment, it is fair to say the Catalan has achieved what he set out to do in that regard.

While a lack of Champions League success continues to blight his CV, Guardiola has otherwise conquered English football.

With four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups and one FA Cup, Guardiola has won at least five major trophies more than any other City manager.

After signing a new deal on Wednesday that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Stats Perform looks at the numbers behind Pep's reign.

DOMESTIC DOMINANCE

Guardiola has managed 374 matches as City manager, winning 271 of those, drawing 49 and losing 54 for a win rate of 72.5 per cent.

Most of those games (242) have come in the Premier League, followed by the Champions League (70, inc. qualifying), FA Cup (30), EFL Cup (28) and Community Shield (4).

The 605 Premier League goals scored by City under Guardiola averages out at 2.5 per game, with less than one a game conceded over the same period.

It is in the EFL Cup that Guardiola boasts his highest win percentage (75 per cent), having won 21 of the 28 matches he has managed in that competition, losing just twice.

PEP OUTDOING FERGIE

Unsurprisingly given City have won the title in four of his six seasons, no manager – not even Manchester United great Alex Ferguson – can better Guardiola's win rate.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has won 74 per cent of his games in the competition, with Ferguson, who managed 810 matches, next best on 65.2 per cent.

Among those to have taken charge of at least 20 games, Antonio Conte (65.7 per cent), Jurgen Klopp (63.2) and ex-City boss Roberto Mancini (61.7) make up the top five.

With four English top-flight titles, Guardiola needs one more to overtake Kenny Dalglish, though he has a long way to go to catch up with Ferguson, who won 13-such crowns.

PREM'S TOP DOGS

Guardiola is one of 119 managers to have taken charge of at least 50 Premier League matches, and he leads the way in a number of the top metrics.

He boasts the most points per game on average (2.4), the highest win percentage (74), most goals per game (2.5) and the fewest goals conceded (0.8).

That is reflected in an accumulated Premier League table across his six and a half seasons at the helm, which has City on 568 points – 38 more than next-best Liverpool.

Chelsea and their various managers have accrued the next highest number of points since the start of the 2016-17 season with 463, followed by Tottenham on 455.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEXT?

For all of Guardiola's undoubted success on the domestic stage, though, he has been unable to add to the two Champions League trophies lifted while managing Barcelona.

Guardiola has won 44 of his 68 games in the competition for a win rate of 65 per cent, a return only Hansi Flick can better (89 per cent) from his short spell at Bayern.

However, his side have repeatedly fallen short on the continent, with their run to the final in the 2020-21 season – when defeated by Chelsea – the best they have managed.

"I still have the feeling there is more we can achieve together and that is why I want to stay and continue fighting for trophies," Guardiola said upon signing his new contract.

On course for yet another Premier League triumph, albeit with a five-point gap to make up on Arsenal, conquering Europe again is now the undoubted main aim for Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola's wildly successful reign as Manchester City manager is set to continue until 2025 after he agreed a two-year contract extension at the Etihad Stadium.

Since swapping Bayern Munich for the Premier League in 2016, Guardiola has enjoyed incredible success, winning four league titles, as many EFL Cups and the FA Cup.

However, not everything has gone to plan for Guardiola in the past six years, and his desire to end a long wait for continental glory was likely a key factor in his decision to stay with the club.

Guardiola has undoubtedly enjoyed more highs than lows during his time with City, but there have been a few bumps in the road along the way.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look back at Guardiola's major triumphs with the Citizens, as well as some of his rare failures.

Low: An underwhelming start, 2016-17 

When Guardiola agreed to take the reigns at City in 2016, hopes were high that he would make an immediate impact – his three years at Bayern had seen him deliver three Bundesliga titles, posting two of the club's three highest points tallies in their history (90 in 2013-14, 88 in 2015-16). 

However, Guardiola's focus on instilling his possession-based style attracted criticism from some, particularly when he opted to replace two-time Premier League winner Joe Hart with the more cultured if erratic Claudio Bravo.

City racked up 78 points as they finished third in 2016-17, an improvement of one place and 12 points on Manuel Pellegrini's final campaign in charge, but more was expected from the former Barcelona coach.

In a sign of things to come, City saved their most disappointing display for the Champions League, exiting on away goals after a wild 6-6 aggregate draw with Monaco in the last 16.

High: City's centurions, 2017-18 

If Guardiola's first season with City was largely forgettable, his second campaign at the helm was memorable for all the right reasons.

Most points (100), most away points (50), most wins (32), most consecutive victories (18) and best goal difference (+76) were among the Premier League records City claimed during an incredible season.

Buoyed by the signings of future stalwarts Kyle Walker, Ederson, Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte, City ultimately finished some 19 points clear of Jose Mourinho's Manchester United.

Guardiola did not even have to wait until May to get his hands on silverware, leading City to an EFL Cup final thrashing of Arsenal in February 2018.

Low: Champions League final heartache, 2021

The main criticism levelled at Guardiola throughout recent years has been his failure to win the Champions League since leaving Camp Nou in 2012.

City's nearest miss to date came in Porto in May 2021, as Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea produced a defensive masterclass to frustrate the Premier League champions en route to a 1-0 win. 

Kai Havertz's goal handed the Blues their second European crown at the Estadio do Dragao, but one of the defining images was that of Kevin De Bruyne leaving the field in tears following a heavy collision with Antonio Rudiger.

The defeat was Guardiola's first in a final with City, and just the second major final loss of his entire coaching career – after a 2011 Copa del Rey reverse to Real Madrid.

High: Domestic cup dominance, 2018-2022

While Guardiola's success is best measured in league titles, City have made several superb memories by dominating the cup competitions under his management.

Under Guardiola, City have captured the FA Cup once and the EFL Cup four times – for context, the club had only won the latter competition three times in their history before his arrival.

Guardiola's lone FA Cup triumph – sealed with a 6-0 final win over Watford in 2019 – made City the first English team to lift both domestic cups and the top-flight title in the same season.

Their rout of the Hornets also represented the biggest margin of victory in an FA Cup final since Bury beat Derby County 6-0 in 1903.

Low: Collapse at the Bernabeu, 2022

The final defeat in 2021 may be the closest Guardiola's City have come to European glory, but last season's collapse against Real Madrid was undoubtedly their most painful failure in the competition.

Holding a 5-3 aggregate lead over Madrid as the second leg entered stoppage time at the Santiago Bernabeu in May, it seemed impossible for City to fall short of a place in the final.

However, Rodrygo's incredible last-gasp brace was followed by an extra-time penalty from Karim Benzema, teeing Madrid up to claim their 14th European crown later that month.

The result handed Guardiola his sixth semi-final elimination from the Champions League – the joint-most of any coach, alongside Jose Mourinho.

High: Edging out Klopp's Reds, 2018-19 and 2021-22

All great teams need a great rival, and in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, Guardiola's City have certainly had one.

Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, City have amassed an incredible tally of 568 Premier League points, putting them 38 clear of Liverpool's own impressive total.

The closest title battles between the duo came in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, with City edging out the Reds by just a single point on the final day of both campaigns.

Two of Guardiola's four league titles have thus come at the end of close-run races with Liverpool, helping him become the most decorated manager in City's history with nine major trophies.

Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract to extend his tenure as Manchester City manager until 2025.

Guardiola has enjoyed a hugely successful spell since taking over at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, winning four Premier League titles, as many EFL Cups, and the FA Cup once.

His City side have also come agonisingly close to winning the Champions League, reaching at least the quarter-final stage in each of the last five seasons and losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the 2020-21 final.

City supporters will hope the signing of striker Erling Haaland will be the final piece to the puzzle as Guardiola seeks to win Europe's elite club competition with City for the first time, having achieved it twice as Barcelona head coach.

With Guardiola's contract having previously been set to expire at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, there had been talk the 51-year-old may opt to leave, either in search of a new challenge or to go on a sabbatical period similar to the one he took after departing Barcelona.

But the Spaniard has decided to remain as City's boss and he spoke of his delight after putting pen to paper.

"I am so pleased to be staying at Manchester City for another two years," Guardiola told the club's website.

"I can't say thank you enough to everyone at the club for trusting me. I am happy and comfortable here. I have everything I need to do my job as best as possible.

"I know the next chapter of this club will be amazing for the next decade. It happened over the last 10 years, and it will happen in the next 10 years because this club is so stable.

"From day one I felt something special being here. I cannot be in a better place.

"I still have the feeling there is more we can achieve together and that is why I want to stay and continue fighting for trophies."

Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract to extend his tenure as Manchester City manager until 2025.

Guardiola has enjoyed a hugely successful spell since taking over at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, winning four Premier League titles, as many EFL Cups, and the FA Cup once.

His City side have also come agonisingly close to winning the Champions League, reaching at least the quarter-final stage in each of the last five seasons and losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the 2020-21 final.

City supporters will hope the signing of striker Erling Haaland will be the final piece to the puzzle as Guardiola seeks to win Europe's elite club competition with City for the first time, having achieved it twice as Barcelona head coach.

With Guardiola's contract having previously been set to expire at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, there had been talk the 51-year-old may opt to leave, either in search of a new challenge or to go on a sabbatical period similar to the one he took after departing Barcelona.

But the Spaniard has decided to remain as City's boss and he spoke of his delight after putting pen to paper.

"I am so pleased to be staying at Manchester City for another two years," Guardiola told the club's website.

"I can't say thank you enough to everyone at the club for trusting me. I am happy and comfortable here. I have everything I need to do my job as best as possible.

"I know the next chapter of this club will be amazing for the next decade. It happened over the last 10 years, and it will happen in the next 10 years because this club is so stable.

"From day one I felt something special being here. I cannot be in a better place.

"I still have the feeling there is more we can achieve together and that is why I want to stay and continue fighting for trophies."

Rangers have sacked manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst after falling off the pace in the Scottish Premiership title race.

Van Bronckhorst joined Rangers last November following Steven Gerrard's move to Aston Villa, leading them to a Scottish Cup triumph and a Europa League final - where they were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt - last term.

However, Van Bronckhorst was unable to inspire consistency in the Scottish Premiership, with Rangers finishing last season four points behind Celtic and entering the World Cup break nine adrift of their Old Firm rivals.

Rangers also endured a chastening Champions League campaign this term, becoming the first Scottish team to lose all six of their group-stage games in the competition.

Van Bronckhorst's team conceded 22 goals across those matches, which included a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool and a 4-0 defeat at Ajax.

In a statement on Rangers' website on Monday, chairman Douglas Park said: "I want to thank Gio for the hard work he has put in over the last 12 months and, especially the achievements of taking the club to the Europa League final and winning the Scottish Cup last season.

"Unfortunately, recent results have not met neither our nor Gio’s expectations, and we have taken this difficult decision today. Everyone at Rangers wishes Gio every success in the future."

With the Scottish Premiership campaign on hold for the World Cup in Qatar, Rangers have over three weeks to find a replacement before they host Hibernian on December 15.

Ligue 1 referee Johan Hamel has died at the age of 42.

The French Referees' Union confirmed Hamel's passing in a statement on their official website on Wednesday.

Hamel had officiated in the French top flight for more than a decade and made his Champions League debut as fourth official in Real Madrid's win over Celtic earlier this month.

One of the most respected referees in France, Hamel's final match in the middle was Lille's 1-1 draw with Rennes on November 6.

He was also fourth official for PSG's 5-0 win over Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which oversees the major leagues in French football, also sent their condolences.

Hamel's death comes two years after the passing of fellow French referee Sebastien Desiage at the age of 46 following a battle with illness.

LFP president Vincent Labrune said: "Johan Hamel was an experienced referee who had worked for many seasons in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. His sudden death is a terrible shock. 

"Two years after the loss of Sebastien Desiage, his death again mourns French arbitration.

"In the name of all professional football, I send my condolences to Johan's family and loved ones, as well as to SAFE and the FFF."