Rangers coach Philippe Clement has explained why Nigeria international Cyriel Dessers made a surprising exit during Rangers’ Europa League win over FCSB—a departure that left the player highly emotional.
Dessers, visibly distressed, walked off the pitch, leaving Clement momentarily frustrated and his fellow forward, Hamza Igamane, scrambling to fill in.
But Clement later revealed that this unusual moment came from a genuine struggle for Dessers.
The Nigerian international suffered an eye injury in the second half of the 4-0 victory at Ibrox, according to the coach.
Unable to see clearly, he was forced off, though his deep commitment to staying in the game was clearly seen in the Super Eagles star as he left the field.
Rangers coach shares Dessers unusual incident
Clement noted that Dessers was upset, as he had been performing well and found it hard to walk away.
Clement also praised Dessers for his dedication, emphasising his passion for the club and strong work ethic both in training and matches.
“Cyriel got a knock or a finger in his eye or something in his eye, so he lost sight. He could not see good anymore. He was quite emotional about it because he wanted to stay on the pitch.
“But he didn't see anything, so he ran off the pitch. That was a really strange moment for me, but he apologised after the game. It's better than to sit down and give time for your teammate to come in.
“But it was in the emotion of wanting to win, wanting to react, wanting to play well—what he was doing also in the game. I have no problems with that,” Clement said.
Looking ahead, the coach expressed hope that Dessers would recover swiftly for their upcoming Premiership clash against St. Mirren on Sunday.
