And the balance of domestic battles, too. Of course, the income is important for the remainder of the transfer window. By the time gate receipts and other factors are added in, upwards of £30million will be earned. Van Bronckhorst and his players will learn exactly what lies in store when the draw is made in Istanbul on Thursday evening.Īny sporting hardships they might endure over a six-match sequence will be more than compensated by the finance spilling forth from UEFA HQ. It's a long, long way from Berwick, Montrose and Annan. Sitting beside the traditional powers of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich - and the petro-dollars of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. In the Champions League groups for the first time since 2010-11. As did that penalty shoot-out defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt in Andalusia just 98 days ago.įourth time lucky? A little fortune is always required but Rangers showed more meaningful reserves of composure, strength and desire to achieve their goal. Losing the title to Celtic then cost another chance to make the Champions League. Under Steven Gerrard, the Malmo qualifier 12 months ago was a painful debacle. Even so, the club and its supporters still hungered to back among the game's true aristocracy. Of course, Rangers' credibility on the continent had already been revived through successive Europa League campaigns - culminating in last season's epic run to the final in Seville and its heartbreaking conclusion. He was entitled to savour every moment of the celebrations that followed. Nothing, he said on Tuesday, would make him prouder than bringing *that* pre-match music back to Ibrox on a regular basis by winning in his homeland. This was another hugely significant European feat to add to the Dutchman's growing CV. On a balmy night in Eindhoven, Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side grabbed the pen and applied ink with a flourish. The restoration is complete.Ī place in the Champions League proper was the one item yet to be ticked off following the cathartic Premiership title success of season 2020-21. The Journey, as it became known, was a protracted and occasionally painful process but any debate about its decisive end point is no longer relevant. Ten years ago this week, a Rangers side containing luminaries such as Emilson Cribari and Anestis Argyriou stepped out at Shielfield Park before being held to a 1-1 draw by Berwick Rangers in the old Third Division.
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