You don’t need to tell Philippe Clement just how important the Champions League is to Rangers.
The Ibrox club have been flying the saltire highest on European duties since, well, since continental competition began.
Rangers were recently named Scotland’s ‘most successful club’ in European competition history.
But as the financial gap between football’s richest and poorest widens, never has qualification for the Champions League been more lucrative, or more important.
Rangers’ European success has not been backed up domestically with Old Firm rivals Celtic enjoying the fruits of our continental labour with three automatic Champions League qualifications on the bounce.
The Gers missed out last season and, with a revamped competition coming this year, there is around £30m on the line for Champions League qualification this time around.
In a candid update to supporters, Rangers manager Clement is clear that the club need more quality if they’re to navigate the qualifiers.
Public Rangers appeal for ‘extra quality’
Speaking to the Rangers Review, Philippe Clement has been honest about the financial gap between Rangers and the rest of the sides in Champions League qualification.
With the likes of Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev and USG all in the mix in Champions League QR3, it’s a stiff hurdle for the club to clear.
As a result Clement has made it pretty clear that more quality additions are required as a cloud continues to hang over Rangers’ stumbling transfer window.
But the Rangers manager also reckons that mindset is just as crucial for a Rangers squad which is nursing plenty of scar tissue from last season.
”We need extra bodies and extra quality to be successful,” said Clement when asked if his current squad is good enough to reach the Champions League group stage.
“I always believe that with your squad you can succeed, because otherwise, you cannot get results against Real Madrid with a team like Brugge.
“Everyone said that was impossible. But if you don’t believe it is possible, it will never happen.
“So it’s about the mindset of the players. They must believe in themselves and be hungry to become better because it’s not only about quality, it’s about work rate, it’s about mentality, it’s about what you do every day. I’ve seen players that are now better than they were six months ago.
“We’ve been working hard for that kind of mindset in all the players who have come in. We want them all ambitious to become better and with all the staff together we can give them the tools to become better.
“So in that way, I believe that with whatever squad we have at that moment will have the ability to qualify. But everybody needs to be at their top and the more quality you have, the better your chance.”
Clement ‘reality’ claims temper Rangers expectations
Philippe Clement has also been talking about the ‘reality’ of Rangers facing teams with a much higher budget in Champions League qualification.
The financial gap between Scottish clubs and the rest of Europe is not an excuse that will wash at Rangers, unlike across the city, and it’s a big part of the reason why we reached Seville.
But in another attempt at tempering expectations, Clement has also discussed the new look ‘core’ of the Rangers team and how opposition sides might be more settled.
It all sounds like the Belgian manager is bracing for disappointment and whilst we’re sure Rangers will give it their all, these comments don’t exactly exude confidence.
“It is for sure not easy because you need to qualify against teams with a much bigger budget,” Clement said. “That is the reality. We did it a few years ago with Brugge.
“The advantage then at that moment was that you had your core of your team already a few years together. We are building that now.
“You need to build a core for the next couple of years and that is why players like Diomande were really important to bring in in January. We see him grow in the months after and again now. We are busy with doing that and we are going to throw ourselves full to qualify because everything is possible.
“Of course, you are not going to be favourites in these qualifying games against teams with bigger budgets and maybe teams who play a long time together. That is the interesting thing to have this challenge, you want to be in this position.
“It is amazing to be at Rangers to be a player and have these challenges and play for those things than to be in a team where you don’t have these challenges and you only have the league and the cup.
“We know already that we have Europe after so there is going to be a lot of games, a lot of experience to take. Everyone wants to go to the Champions League. Me also, I have been there several times and it is a nice world.”
Rangers go into Champions League QR3 with the two-legged affair to be played on the 6/7th of August and the 13th of August.
The Gers will find out who’ll they’ll be playing in the tie on Monday 22nd July, with the draw to take place in Nyon, Switzerland.
