While last year’s Champions League campaign was a complete bust, there were some good things that happened that made it more bearable.
If you look at the teams that have advanced to the next round of the Champions League, it becomes even more clear that Rangers are not a Europa League club based on last year’s performance at Ibrox.
Reasons why Rangers should try to break out of their Europa League rut
Over the past five or six years of playing on the continent, there has been a consistent pattern, despite the inevitable changes in squads and managers.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to defeat Union Saint-Gilloise and PSV Eindhoven despite the Champions League tragedy; the latter two teams proceeded to advance in the Europa League.
While Rangers could compete in the Europa League, the second division of European football, they have every reason to believe that a Champions League run is within their reach if they can regain entry.
No matter if it’s the Europa League or the Champions League, Rangers can hold their own against these opponents.
However, a midfield duo consisting of Leon King, James Sands, and John Lundstram—all of whom are 71 years old—does not make sense.
The key distinction is that Celtic was soundly defeated by some of the clubs we’ve defeated in group stage or in the knockout stages.
After defeating RB Leipzig, Sparta Prague, Real Betis, Feyenoord, and Mitdjylland, we cruised past Celtic.
A loss to a team like Aris Limassol is inevitable; even Real Madrid and Barcelona have tasted humiliation in recent seasons.
Another positive development would be if Philippe Clement could lead his squad to a victory over Real Betis.
We need to win the Scottish Premiership to prove that the Champions League is our true home, even though Rangers may participate in the Europa League.
The goal must be to dominate at home and to carry the flag in Europe.
