Can Rangers take inspiration from Champions League surprise package?

Add as preferred source on Google

For every Rangers fan, a return to the top of the domestic table is so important that at this point the potential of Champions League football in the aftermath feels like an afterthought.

But when Rangers do eventually get that all-important first league title over the line since the events of 2012, a trip in European football’s premier competition beckons.

With a limited budget Rangers need to be smart with how they aim to get there, but can they draw inspiration from Champions League surprise package Atalanta?

Obviously Rangers aren’t blessed with being in one of Europe’s big five leagues, but there’s something to be said for how Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have overcome the odds to reach the knockout rounds of this year’s competition.

Not only that, but they’ve just trounced Spanish giants Valencia 4-1 in their first ever CL knockout round fixture.

Coming out of a group containing Pep Guardiola’s Man City, Champions League veterans Shakhtar Donetsk and Croatian underdogs Dinamo Zagreb, they were expected to be the knockout rounds whipping boys.

But they’re proving that they are far from it – on a fraction of the budget of team’s from around Europe.

Atalanta have the 14^th highest wage budget in Italy [Guardian] and a budget which is the same as English Championship club Reading [Mareo Bonetti].

According to Swiss Ramble, the club is operating on a wage structure reaching around €50m (£42m).

In 2018/19 Rangers wage budget was £34.5m whilst Celtic’s stood at £59m [Scotsman].

Whilst Atalanta can offer players the opportunity to compete in Italy’s Serie A and the chance to line up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus, there’s something to be said about how they’re managing this.

Money is important but it has to be well spent and supplemented with a solid coaching structure.

Whilst Rangers can’t draw an absolute comparison with La Dea, they can definitely take inspiration from this football success story.

If Rangers are to make it into the Champions League again in the coming seasons, Atalanta are showing you don’t need to break the bank to make a proper go of it.