Nineteen goals conceded, one goal scored and zero points. Rangers FC, today’s opponents of Ajax, can safely be described as one of the ugly ducklings of this Champions League season. “Not to win a single game would be disappointing,” said coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst at the press conference on Monday.
The mediocre results of the team, which reached the Europa League final in Europe last year and lost to Eintracht Frankfurt, are striking. “The opponents in the Champions League are on a completely different level than the teams we met last year,” said Van Bronckhorst.
A European hibernation and a new chance of success in the Europa League seems almost impossible for Rangers. Although there is a very small chance. To qualify for the Europa League knockout phase, the club must finish third in the Champions League group.
Rangers conquer that third spot if Ajax win by more than four goals. Van Bronckhorst seems to have little faith in a stunt. “We’re not on the same level as Ajax.”
The former player for Feyenoord, Rangers, Arsenal and Barcelona, among others, points to the recent European history of both clubs. And this hint seems to be correct. Where Ajax have qualified for the main Champions League tournament ten times in the last thirteen years and reached the semi-finals in 2019, Rangers are back at the top European level for the first time since 2010.
According to Van Bronckhorst, the differences between the teams are big. He underpins his argument with reference to the transfer market. Rangers, who eliminated PSV in the Champions League preliminary round, spent more than €14m on players last summer, while Ajax invested more than €100m in selections. “They also choose us a defender away.”
Van Bronckhorst refers to Calvin Bassey. In July he dared to cross from Scotland to the Netherlands for 23 million euros. At the Amsterdam team’s press conference, Bassey says he thinks Ajax are a step up. “The players here are first class, although those at Rangers were good too.”
At times it can be seen that Bassey has to get used to his new club. He also notices that: “You can’t just dream at Ajax and you have to communicate more. You play for possession all the time.” His former coach Van Bronckhorst calls Bassey a “good player” but believes he can “do better”.
That Van Bronckhorst and Bassey’s relationship is good is shown by a gift the defender is giving to the coach he was successful with last year. On Monday, Bassey was still shrouded in mystery about the exact nature of the gift: “You’ll know that tomorrow.”
Just because Rangers seem inferior to Ajax doesn’t mean the Scottish club is small. The club, which represents the Protestant part of the city, are Scotland’s record champions with 55 league titles, ahead of compatriot and rival Celtic (53 league titles), who embody the Catholic part.
Rangers, who are four points behind Celtic in the competition, also have a rabid fanbase that can create a hurricane of sound at the impressive Ibrox Stadium. Around 50,000 people will want to scream for Rangers to win against Ajax tonight.
This massive support gives Van Bronckhorst confidence. “At Ibrox we dare against Ajax. I think we have a chance to win.”
Source:NOS
I’m Maxine Reitz, a journalist and news writer at 24 Instant News. I specialize in health-related topics and have written hundreds of articles on the subject. My work has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Healthline. As an experienced professional in the industry, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to develop compelling stories that engage readers.
