Rangers will be attempting to match their best-ever performance in the UEFA Champions League as they return to the competition for the first time since 2010. They will be part of the 2022/23 group stage, drawn in Group A with Napoli, Liverpool, and Ajax.
The Scottish giants fell agonizingly short in the quest for only their second-ever European cup trophy last season, losing on penalty kicks to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League on May 18, 2022 in Seville.
What made that loss especially painful was the chance Rangers were gifted with two minutes left in extra time. Rangers' Ryan Kent had the Eintracht goal at his mercy, only for German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to make a stunning kick save. Then Rangers midfielder Aaron Ramsey was the only player who failed to convert in the penalty shootout.
The Glaswegian club had a magical run to that 2021/22 Europa League final, pushing past Portugal's Sporting Braga in the quarterfinals and then German side RB Leipzig in the semis. In each instance, they used a stirring second-leg comeback at Ibrox to advance, reaching their first European cup final since 2008.
Rangers still closed out the 2021/22 season with a trophy by hoisting the Scottish Cup a few days later with a 2-0 extra-time victory over Hearts. They qualified for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League qualifying stages after finishing second in the Scottish Premiership to arch-rivals Celtic. They overcame Belgium club Union Saint-Gilloise and Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the qualifying rounds to clinch a spot in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage.
Rangers' first European trophy
After frustration in the 1960's, with defeat to Fiorentina in the 1961 Cup Winners' Cup final, and then again in the 1967 final against Bayern Munich, Rangers were aiming to make it third time lucky in 1972.
Revenge over Bayern in the semi-final stage of that Cup Winners' Cup set Willie Waddell's side up for a showdown with Dinamo Moscow at Barcelona's Camp Nou.
A brace from winger Willie Johnston put Rangers 3-0 up after an hour in Catalonia, and they withstood a late storm of pressure, to seal a 3-2 win, and a first ever European title.
Disgrace in Manchester in 2008
After losing the 1973 UEFA Super Cup to Ajax, Rangers waited 35 years for their next European final, as Walter Smith's side took on Russian giants FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Manchester back in 2008 (watch highlights on UEFA YouTube channel).
An early exit from the Champions League dropped Rangers into the UEFA Cup and Smith's charges battled to the final.
Archive picture time. This week, a Piccadilly Gardens special. Here's street cleaners tidying up after the 2008 UEFA Cup Final between Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg descended into a riot after the viewing screens in the gardens stopped working.. pic.twitter.com/FIBPdfsMfA
— Manchester News MEN (@MENnewsdesk) June 12, 2021
Rangers came up short against an Andrei Arshavin-inspired Zenit at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, but the final was marred by thousands of Rangers fans causing chaos in Manchester City Centre, with the club's reputation suffering major damage.
🏆 @fczenit_en 🎉
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 14, 2020
🌊 Zenit won their first UEFA Cup title #OnThisDay in 2008, beating Rangers 2-0 in Manchester 👏#UEL | #OTD pic.twitter.com/v9YwdtCSuz
Scots struggle in Europe in the Champions League era
Since the inception of the Champions League in 1992-93, only Rangers and Celtic have represented Scotland in the group stages.
However, it took until 2006 for either side to reach the knockout stages, as Rangers qualified for the last 16 in 2006.
Celtic clinched back-to-back last 16 spots in 2007 and 2008, under Gordon Strachan, but they have achieved that feat just once more in the last 14 years.
No Scottish side has ever progressed to the quarterfinals of the Champions League with Rangers not making the group stages since 2010.
Rangers in UEFA Champions League
Rangers have made it to the knockout rounds of Europe's top club competition only once since the launch of the revamped UEFA Champions League in 1992-93.
| Season | Round Reached |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Group stage |
| 1993-94 | Qualifying |
| 1994-95 | Qualifying |
| 1995-96 | Group stage |
| 1996-97 | Group stage |
| 1997-98 | Qualifying |
| 1999-00 | Group stage |
| 2000-01 | Group stage |
| 2001-02 | Qualifying |
| 2003-04 | Group stage |
| 2004-05 | Qualifying |
| 2005-06 | Round of 16 |
| 2007-08 | Group stage |
| 2008-09 | Qualifying |
| 2009-10 | Group stage |
| 2010-11 | Group stage |
| 2011-12 | Qualifying |
| 2021-22 | Qualifying |
Rangers in Europa League
When it comes to the Europa League (previously called the Fairs Cup and UEFA Cup), Rangers have had a bit more success in reaching the knockouts.
| Season | Round Reached | Eliminated by |
|---|---|---|
| 1967-68 | Quarterfinal | Leeds United |
| 1968-69 | Semifinal | Newcastle |
| 1970-71 | Round of 64 | Bayern Munich |
| 1982-83 | Round of 32 | FC Koln |
| 1984-85 | Round of 32 | Inter Milan |
| 1985-86 | Round of 64 | Osasuna |
| 1986-87 | Round of 16 | Borussia M'gladbach |
| 1988-89 | Round of 32 | FC Koln |
| 1997-98 | Round of 64 | Strasbourg |
| 1998-99 | Round of 16 | Parma |
| 1999-00 | Round of 32 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 2000-01 | Round of 32 | FC Kaiserslautern |
| 2001-02 | Round of 16 | Feyenoord |
| 2002-03 | 1st Rd (96 teams) | Viktoria Zizkov |
| 2004-05 | Group Stage | N/A |
| 2006-07 | Round of 16 | Osasuna |
| 2007-08 | Final | FC Zenit |
| 2010-11 | Round of 16 | PSV Eindhoven |
| 2011-12 | Qualifying | Maribor |
| 2017-18 | Qualifying | Progres Niederkom |
| 2018-19 | Group stage | N/A |
| 2019-20 | Round of 16 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 2020-21 | Round of 16 | Slavia Prague |
| 2021-22 | Final | Eintracht Frankfurt |
Steven Gerrard's new dawn in Glasgow
The appointment of former Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard as Rangers boss at the start of the 2018/19 season signaled a statement of intent by the club.
An ambitious Gerrard took the challenge to Celtic head on and sealed successive second-place finishes behind their dominant neighbours.
However, Gerrard refused to budge on his objective of winning the league in Glasgow, and a 2021 Scottish Premiership title saw a decade-long Celtic stranglehold broken.
Steven Gerrard and the Rangers players celebrate their title win at the clubs' training ground after the team were crowned champions of Scotland for the 55th time. 🟦🏆pic.twitter.com/O33oqKsR7B
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) March 7, 2021
Gerrard restored some pride for Rangers fans, but their European struggles continued under him.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have to wait until next year in his attempt to rival the success of the current Aston Villa boss.