Rangers put their domestic blues behind them to see off FCSB, however, things could have been so different but for Lady Luck intervening.
On this occasion, she took the form of Italian whistler Marco di Bello who forgot that VAR was a thing and in operation at Ibrox when he blew for a foul on Jack Butland in the third minute.
The whistle went before David Miculescu put the ball in the net, but this didn’t make the call any less painful for FCSB boss Elias Charamboulou as Rangers ran out rampant winners in the end.
Referee apologises for Rangers call that saved Jack Butland
Speaking after seeing his side lose 4-0, Charamboulou was asked for his thoughts on the game, to which he replied:
“The game might have been very different if the referee had made the right decision on the goal. I spoke to him at half-time and he apologised. He said he should have waited before whistling, so VAR could have helped with the decision and I respect him for that. But it is too late now.
“It was a bad night for us. Unfortunately, we knew from the beginning that we would face a very good team, especially at home. We knew exactly what to face. The main problem for us was that we were dangerous when we had the ball.
“We knew Rangers were a team that when they lose the ball high, they try to press and regain the ball. And we received four goals in the same way, unfortunately. But this is football and in this high level, in order for us to win points, we have to be on our best, and we were not today.”
Why Butland was lucky on two occasions against FCSB
Butland wasn’t just lucky when the referee saved his blushes, he was also lucky to avoid serious injury in the incident.
The Rangers No.1 went down holding his back but also caught his foot in the ground leading to him emerging from the tunnel in the second half with strapping on his ankle.
There seemed to be no serious side effects from the collision though as he pulled off a string of solid saves showing that he had recovered well from his moment of madness.
Hopefully, he has learned his lesson the hard way when he reflects on a moment that could have put Rangers into a spot of bother, and him into the treatment room.
