Simon Jordan has explained why Rangers have actually ‘done themselves a favour’ by exiting the Champions League at the third qualifying round.
Dynamo Kyiv were the opponents in Glasgow on Tuesday evening for the second leg as Rangers aimed to reach the play-off stage of Europe’s premier competition.
Between £30-40m was at stake at Hampden after the Light Blues secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg thanks to Cyriel Dessers’ last-gasp equaliser in Poland.
But a shocking decision from on-pitch referee Marco Guida to issue Jefte with a second yellow card ruined the home side’s hopes of progression.
Dynamo Kyiv took advantage of the awful decision and delivered a 2-0 victory on the night to set up a play-off clash with RB Salzburg.
Just like last season, Rangers will once again play out a campaign of Europa League football whilst Celtic ply their trade in the Champions League proper.
Rangers fans are demoralised at the fact but talkSPORT mouthpiece Simon Jordan thinks the Govan giants shouldn’t be too disappointed by the situation.
Jordan delivers short-sighted Rangers comment
Jordan was speaking on Jim White’s talkSPORT show on Wednesday morning and thinks Rangers have spared their blushes by not competing in the Champions League.
He said live on air: “Rangers would have gone into the Champions League, like Celtic will, and it’ll be written about how they’re not winning games, how Scottish teams are not progressing. They’ve done themselves a favour.”
Danny Murphy had his say before Jordan and commented similarly: “From a footballing perspective, yes (it is a blessing). They are trying to bridge the gap to Celtic.
“The opposition they’d come up against in the Champions League would be much more intense and it would destroy confidence as they’d lose more games.
“They can go far in the Europa League as they have before so it could be a blessing, even if fans would prefer to see them in the Champions League. Competing in that competition and competing with Celtic weekly in the league would have been difficult.”
Rangers and Celtic financial gap is widening
The main concern for Rangers fans and for the club is not how the team would have performed in the Champions League league phase this season.
The more pressing issue is the ever-increasing chasm that continues to lengthen between Rangers and Celtic from a financial perspective.
Old Firm rivals Celtic are laughing to the bank at the moment. They are guaranteed the £30-40m Champions League jackpot and are likely to rake in at least £20m for star man Matt O’Riley.
And the further the gap widens, the less chance Rangers have of competing with the Hoops on the domestic front.
Of course, no fan would have desired a repeat of the 2022/23 season when Rangers reached the Champions League group stage yet came out of it as one of the competition’s worst ever teams.
But the long-term financial reality takes precedence here and Jordan’s short-sighted standpoint is quite frankly bizarre. Ask any Rangers fan and they will agree.
