Danny Rohl aims dig at Dejphon Chansiri with Sheffield Wednesday, Rangers comparison | OneFootball

Danny Rohl took aim at former Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri when discussing his relationship with the Rangers hierarchy.

New Rangers manager Danny Rohl claims he has a much stronger relationship with the Ibrox hierarchy than he did with Dejphon Chansiri during his time at Sheffield Wednesday.

After spells as a coach with RB Leipzig, Southampton, Bayern Munich and the German national team, Rohl was handed his first managerial job by Chansiri in October 2023, and he successfully kept Wednesday in the Championship before leading them to a 12th-placed finish last season.

However, Rohl's relationship with Chansiri began to break down in December when he was denied a move to Southampton, and that marked the start of a bitter public dispute between the pair which rumbled on until the middle of the January transfer window.

Rohl was linked with a host of clubs in the early stages of the summer, but his reported £5 million release clause proved to be a stumbling block for his suitors, and he was forced to make an awkward return to his role with the Owls after missing the opening weeks of pre-season.

However, as Wednesday's financial crisis deepened, Rohl departed Hillsborough by mutual consent just over a week before the start of the new season, with his assistant Henrik Pedersen stepping up to the top job after his exit.

After just under three months out of work, Rohl returned to management with Rangers last month, and the 36-year-old has led his new side to back-to-back victories over Kilmarnock and Hibernian in his first two Scottish Premiership games, but they were also knocked out of the Scottish League Cup at the semi-final stage by Celtic and suffered a 3-0 defeat to Brann in the Europa League.

Danny Rohl takes aim at Dejphon Chansiri after Sheffield Wednesday exit amid Rangers comparison

Following months of off-field and financial turmoil, Chansiri's turbulent decade-long reign at Wednesday came to an end last month when he put the club into administration, but with Rohl and a host of key players departing in the summer, his exit came too late to salvage the Owls' season.

Rohl's relationship with the Rangers board did not get off to the best start as he initially pulled out of the race to replace Russell Martin before having a change of heart, but the German insists his connection with his Ibrox hierarchy is far more positive than the one he had with Chansiri at Hillsborough.

"Yeah, so far I must say this is a great connection, relationship. We're always in touch, also after games we speak. Sometimes it's a message," Rohl told Glasgow World.

"I think this is good. I must say I missed such a relationship in the last two years.

"I think all in all, the people around me try to support me. They help me in different parts of this job.

"My focus is to give them a lot of wins back. Of course, it's my responsibility.

"I would say it was a different environment. I think the club structure was a bit different. It was just the owner and me.

"I did from recruitment to match prep to looking for pre-season camps, a lot of things by myself.

"Of course, I had some great people. I think the relationship in the club was good. There were a lot of good people there and they're still there.

"But, of course, now you have more people around you.

"I think it's also important for me now to take the first three weeks. I put my notice together, all the information, and then soon we're on the national break. It's about focus."

Sheffield Wednesday fans will have mixed emotions about Danny Rohl's Dejphon Chansiri comments

It is no secret that Rohl did not have the strongest of relationships with Chansiri, particularly towards the end of his time at Hillsborough, and given the club's lack of structure, the former Wednesday manager was tasked with doing everything from managing the team to approving hotel bookings.

Owls supporters certainly have no loyalty towards Chansiri, and there is no doubt it would have been tough for any manager to work under him, but Rohl also has a mixed legacy, with many feeling that he disrespected the club with his actions in the weeks leading up to his eventual departure as he attempted to find himself a new club.

Rohl is now working in a more stable environment at Ibrox, but the Rangers hierarchy have come under serious pressure from supporters for some of their poor decision-making this season, particularly relating to recruitment, so his relationship with the board could be tested as the January transfer window approaches.