Nico Raskin’s Rangers career ‘over’ after Old Firm bust up | OneFootball

The Raskin situation has reached breaking point at Ibrox and there is no coming back. Thierry Raskin, Nico’s father, went public with a scathing attack on Russell Martin after the Bruges humiliation. He called out the Rangers manager for leaving out eight players from a European quarter final squad. He accused him of having an oversized ego and undermining the team. The fallout has been seismic and it means Nico Raskin will not feature for Rangers against Celtic on Sunday.

Martin under pressure

The fact his father spoke so openly shows how toxic the relationship between player and manager has become. A private frustration has burst into the open and embarrassed the club further. The Ibrox board now face a scenario where a first team midfielder has become unplayable. The Belgian’s father has crossed a line and there is no path back. The Raskin situation is beyond repair and Rangers must now move on.

Russell Martin’s position is fragile already. Supporters lost faith weeks ago and his survival only comes from protection upstairs. To then see a player’s family go public against him makes the dressing room chaos clear. Martin insisted after Bruges that this squad needs his stamp. Yet his stamp has brought nothing but humiliation. When even a player’s father is calling him out, the image of unity is destroyed.

Ugly atmosphere revealed

It also speaks volumes about how bad the atmosphere must be. No player father lashes out unless the camp has hit rock bottom. Thierry Raskin’s rant echoed what many fans already think. That Martin is a man with too much ego and too little substance. This will only increase the pressure on him going into Sunday. Even if the board back him, the fans will not forget this.

The issue now stretches beyond one player. It exposes the growing fracture between manager and squad. Once those cracks appear, they rarely heal. Martin may cling on with boardroom backing but this is another sign of a team tearing apart. Fans already feared the worst for the Old Firm. Now they go into it with even less hope.

End of the road for Raskin

As for Nico Raskin himself, his Rangers career is over. The Belgian has wanted out since January and now he will get his wish. His father’s words made it impossible for him to play again. No manager can pick a player whose family has destroyed him in public. Martin will freeze him out and the board will seek bids. It may not be tidy but it is necessary.

Rangers now head into the Old Firm without him. The midfield will again rely on others who actually want to be here. It is a sorry ending for a player who arrived with big hope. Yet this is what happens when relationships break and egos clash. The Raskin situation is now ugly beyond repair and it has finished his Rangers time.