Philippe Clement beamed with pride as he spoke to a press conference following Rangers’ historic Europa League victory over Real Betis.
The Rangers manager made history by leading the club to their first ever win against a Spanish side in Spain in what was the club’s 13th attempt.
The 3-2 victory also seen an injury-hit Rangers team find an extra gear against quality opposition in the La Liga side to earn safe passage to the Europa League knockouts.
Finishing top of Group C, Rangers also avoid a Europa League Playoff with the Champions League drop-outs and are guaranteed a spot in the Last 16 of the competition in March.
Here’s every word from Ibrox boss Philippe Clement’s post-match press conference as Real Betis become the latest Europa League scalp for the Kings of Thursday nights.
Comments taken from the official Rangers YouTube channel.
Philippe Clement talks after stunning Real Betis victory
Philippe, congratulations. Maybe you can start by just talking about the pride in your team’s performance and result.
“Yeah big pride. I’m really proud of them. I saw today the things I wanted to see, the things we’ve worked on the last couple of weeks. I want to see a team of winners that never give up. I want to see a team where everybody is involved, starting or not starting, where everybody wants to do the job in his normal position or not, and create a team of winners who never give up and that’s what they did today. So they played a big game and I said also before the game that I wanted to see a brave team and not a team that only wants to defend and looking for transitions but also a brave team on the ball, playing our football, and they did. First half better than second half, or the start of the second half, where Betis became stronger and stronger but then we dig in and we stay together and we work hard and then the moments come. I cannot be more proud as a coach after this short period together where the team is now for the moment.”
A lot of records have fallen this evening; first time Rangers have beaten a Spanish team in Spain and no one had won here this season at all, in fact no-one had scored more than one goal. So this must go down as one of your best nights I guess in football?
“I’m lucky. I had some good nights already. So for sure it will be one of the great nights but the bad thing about me is that I’m always thinking already to the next one. But it didn’t happen that much that I was so proud of a team – it happened already a few times in Brugge and in Genk – but this is the first time in that way with this team and I am really happy with the evolution that they are making. Mentally, physically, technically, tactically they’re making steps. We still have a long way to go. The frustrating thing for me is that I had to make a change already at half-time. (Jose) Cifuentes had a muscle injury so again a story like that so I’m not happy with that. But then you see Dujon (Sterling) comes in and plays a really good game in midfield. So that’s the mentality that we need. Everybody fighting for the team but with quality on the ball and everybody knowing what they have to do with and without the ball and that was really good. So three really good goals. I don’t think as a coach you can be more pleased than I am this evening.”
Philippe you said you had nothing to lose coming into this game tonight. Does it feel like you’ve gained a lot after that performance and result?
“We had a lot to win eh? Like your colleague said there were a lot of records to break. It’s a little bit like you go to the Olympics and you do the high jump and you put the bar that high that everybody thinks it’s impossible to do it and you jump over it. And that’s what the boys did today. By doing the right things with and without the ball, being brave, never giving up and showing quality on the ball. So this needs to be a reference for the rest of the season to stick together and then you see we can do amazing things together.”
Another massive game this weekend, what can that performance and result do for your team going into that game at Hampden?
“Nothing. For me there’s no difference if we’d have won or lost, it’s a different game. Of course it will give confidence but we need to see now that we stay with our feet on the ground. It’s a totally different game, different opponent. I think the biggest gain today is that everybody feels in this dressing room that if they stick together and they work hard that they get the reward. But it stays one game of football so we’re going to go really hard to win this first trophy but we need to be humble also.”
Cyriel Dessers has not had the easiest of time in Glasgow, he’s had criticism, he’s had ups and downs. How pleased are you for him tonight, the way he took his goal, it was a sensational goal?
“No, not only the goal, also the work he did. Cyriel was one of the guys on the plane that I spoke with, with the videos to improve things and you see he’s really working hard to do the things how we want it, how we want the striker to play. He’s stepped into the story. He’s working hard for the team and then you get the chances to score. And then you get the confidence of your teammates and of your coach. So I’m really pleased about him. Also Sam (Lammers) had a lot of stick the last couple of months I hear, he played for me also a really good game. So the past is the past, all the things that happened weeks or months ago, it’s not important. All the things that happened weeks or months it’s not important. It’s about the story we’re going to continue in the next weeks and the next months, that’s the most important.”
This club has had a fond affair with the Europa League. How excited are you about the possibilities that lie ahead in March in the last 16?
“It’s already a big achievement to come first in this group, against a team as Betis. Also a good team as Sparta Prague who play really good football and they’re going to go also a long way in Europe I think. So I’m really pleased about that. It’s also a statement, it’s good for Scottish football also to take these points for coefficient, it’s important for the future. And we’re going to play now a little bit later. So we start in March in Europe, so that’s two games less in February. With the calendar we’ve had until now it’s maybe good also that we can use that period to make the team stronger with more training also.”
It would be easy to talk tonight the goal scorers but young Ross McCausland had quite a tough game tonight but he kept coming back for more. What did you say to him when you substituted him?
“I cannot say everything. I know I am a coach who says a lot to the press but I cannot give every detail.”
We’ll keep that one private. In terms of the team lineup tonight, with your injuries it was a tough lineup to choose. You also had the quality of the opposition in Betis, you had the tactical nous of Pellegrini, was that a very satisfying result for you and your coaching staff this evening?
“It’s a story together and to be honest it was not so tough the choices. I hope I have much more tough choices the next couple of months than I had on this evening to pick a team but everybody did his job to the full. They were all focused, concentrated, to do what they had to defensively but also using the spaces that we knew that we could get against Betis. In that it’s really satisfying for all staff, for the analysts also, that they come with the right information so we can make the right decisions.”
