Rewind to the beginning of last season and Rangers were playing Real Madrid in a glamour friendly, but as Eintracht Frankfurt face Los Blancos in the UEFA Super Cup it’s a reminder of what might’ve been.
The Gers support named the legendary Spanish club as the one club above all others they’d like to face off against at Ibrox and the Rangers board delivered what was eventually a 1-1 draw as part of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
But how different things are on competitive duties and had Rangers managed to pip Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League in Seville it’d be the Bears descending on Helsinki for this glamour tie with last season’s Champions League winners.
Alas, still ruing injuries in the first team squad, the baking heat of Seville, and the shortcomings of the team, Rangers fans will need to watch on as Frankfurt take on Real Madrid for the Super Cup trophy.
With participation worth at least £3.3m it’s a nice little bit of change too but unfortunately it wasn’t to be and Rangers will just need to hope they can overcome PSV and perhaps draw Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the Champions League group stages.
Rangers sent UEFA Super Cup reminder as Frankfurt face Real Madrid
Interestingly, ahead of the match in Finland, Frankfurt captain Filip Kostic has not travelled for the Real Madrid clash amid reports he’s Juventus-bound in a £14m deal [Daily Mail].
Any Carlo Ancelotti loving Rangers fans may look away now too as the legendary Italian manager waxed lyrical about the Germans and claimed they were deserved winners of the Europa League.
“They played a great Europa League. They deserved to win it, they played some very strong teams. They’re a dynamic team with intensity,” said the Real Madrid boss [ESPN].
It’s not the first time Eintracht Frankfurt have prevented Rangers from facing Real Madrid either; the Germans beat the Gers in the 1960 European Cup semi-final before going on to be thrashed 7-3 by Madrid in a famous Final at Hampden.
The challenge is now set for Rangers in the Champions League as the Ibrox secured a Playoff date with PSV and banked £4m in the process.