The reward for Rangers’ fast-tracking themselves into the last-16 of the Europa League is a potential meeting with Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
That’s if you can call it a ‘reward’.
His stock might have fallen in recent years but a European knock-out tie against Jose Mourinho? Rangers have claimed some pretty impressive continental scalps over the years but outwitting the godfather of all cup specialists could be perhaps the biggest challenge the Glasgow giants have faced yet on their European sojourns.
This is, after all, a man who masterminded two Champions League triumphs. Add in the Europa Leagues/UEFA Cups he picked up with Manchester United and Porto – plus the Conference League he won with AS Roma – and the under-fire Philippe Clement may have to find a way past a coach with five continental trophies on a CV with more silverware than a Royal Family garden party.
It was confirmed on Thursday night that Rangers will face either Fenerbahce or Bodo/Glimt in the last-16 next month.
Bodo/Glimt hammered FC Twente in their play-off tie, while a hard-fought draw at Anderlecht was enough to secure Fenerbahce’s progress following a thumping 3-0 home leg victory in Turkey.
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Jose Mourinho confirms ‘big absence’ for Fenerbahce amid potential Rangers clash
Mourinho’s hopes of adding a sixth European title to his collection will not be aided, however, by the loss of one of his star players to suspension.
Fred, the former Manchester United stalwart and Brazil international, picked up a costly yellow card during that 2-2 draw in Belgium. As a result, a man with four goals and seven assists from midfield this season will be unavailable for the first-leg of that potential Rangers clash, presuming Clement is pitched against Mourinho in Friday’s 12pm draw.
“Fred will be a big absence for us,” Mourinho admits. “[But] we have time to think about that.”
Fred has been pretty much an ever-present ever since Mourinho took over at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium last summer. In fact, he has started all but one of Fenerbahce’s Europa League matches until now.
The other one he missed was also down to suspension, the tenacious Fred now reaching double figures for yellow cards across 2024/25.
Mourinho, then, will have to do without not only one of his most trusted and experienced operators, but also a man who has proven to be a reliable source of creativity and a bundle of disruptive, dynamic energy in the centre of the park.
Mixed news for Turkish giants Fenerbahce as injury crisis eases
Big continental ties are often decided in the midfield zones. Rangers’ all-action duo of Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin – Raskin is amongst the Europa League’s most prolific tacklers this season – should therefore have a less daunting task awaiting them as Fenerbahce prepare to travel to Ibrox for March’s first-leg.
Ismail Yuksek replaced a suspended Fred when Fenerbahce were beaten 2-0 by Athletic Bilbao in the autumn. Yuksek has been unavailable recently due to a torn thigh muscle but should return in time for that Rangers tie.
Fenerbahce are also expected to welcome back goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and centre-back Caglar Soyuncu – formerly of Leicester City and Atletico Madrid – potentially ahead of this weekend’s crunch clash with bitter rivals Galatasaray.
Bright Osayi-Samuel, their versatile winger-turned-full-back, will play no part in the first-leg against Rangers however after picking up a yellow card of his own.
The ever-mischievous Mourinho could not resist a dig at Galatasaray in his post-Anderlecht press conference, meanwhile, with a less-than-subtle nod to their shock exit at the hands of AZ Alkmaar.
“We will think about the league match on Monday and the [Turkish] cup match on Thursday,” Mourinho concludes. “We will forget about the Europa League now. Of course, we are happy to have advanced.
“We are also proud to be the only Turkish team representing Turkey in UEFA tournaments.”
By the time those 180 minutes with Rangers are over, Philippe Clement and co will hope the tally of Turkish participants stands at zero.
