The BBC’s Kerredine Idessane was rather at it again with Rangers and Philippe Clement today, mildly trolling the Ibrox boss with a bizarre question:
“Have you managed a team, in a European quarter final?”
After Clement being more than a spot confused with a hint of droll amusement at this question, the infamously-Celtic-supporting journalist tried to spin it as a compliment, and an achievement for the Rangers boss. He went on:
“What I meant was it would be quite an achievement, I know you don’t like that stuff, you came here to do new things so for the club and for yourself, how big an achievement.”
It was the latest in a line of absurd attempts from that journalist in particular at getting a reaction from Clement, who took it rather well and quipped a thank you to the hack for reminding him he hasn’t got to a quarter final yet.
The previous incident was at Celtic Park of course, Rangers’ infamous loss, and Idessane rather baiting the Rangers boss with a very trolling question at the time, with the manager handling that occasion very well indeed.
This isn’t (just) a Rangers thing, it’s a BBC thing – even Jane Lewis infamously trolled Brendan Rodgers at Celtic which led to the infamous ‘good girl’ quote which the media (and woke society at large, including, yes, some snowflake Rangers fans) fell all over themselves to be offended by.
We agree completely that managers and media figures should be very much held to account, and that is 100% what journalist should do, but this did seem entirely like a question for a reaction, as opposed to a hard journalistic question of investigative integrity.
It was simply a reminder, appearing to attempt to undermine Clement, that he’s never been to a European quarter before – Idessane was obviously well aware of this before he asked the question.
But for that question to come from a Celtic fan is a ludicrous irony not lost on anyone given Rangers have held Scotland up alone for about 6 years by way of our achievements in Europe.
The last person to dig at Rangers in that way is a Celtic fan. Yet here they are…