Rangers interim head coach Barry Ferguson will meet a familiar face in the Fenerbahce dugout on Thursday evening.
Jose Mourinho is currently bossing the Turkish giants and will go head-to-head with Ferguson in the first leg of the last 16 clash between Rangers and Fenerbahce.
He’s already been box office in his press conference with Mourinho denouncing Philippe Clement and admitting he can’t rule out managing Rangers one day.
Mourinho will face Rangers for the second time in his career, the first not even in competitive action. That was a pre-season friendly in 2007 when Chelsea travelled north to play the Light Blues at Ibrox.
Walter Smith was the Rangers manager and fielded a star-studded starting XI. But it was actually two substitutes who scored on the day as Rangers recorded an impressive 2-0 victory against a side featuring John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
So who played for Rangers that day and what are the players up to now? Rangers News takes a look below.
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Rangers starting XI vs Chelsea in 2007 friendly win
Allan McGregor
Allan McGregor was installed as Rangers’ first choice goalkeeper the previous season and continued that role under Walter Smith. He kept a clean sheet in the clash as he denied the likes of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
McGregor is now the interim Rangers goalkeeping coach after Barry Ferguson made him a part of his coaching team for the rest of the season.
Alan Hutton
Alan Hutton enjoyed a stellar 2006/07 campaign and he would only spend another six months at Ibrox after the Chelsea friendly. He joined the London club’s rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the January.
Hutton is currently a pundit and works primarily for Premier Sports and TNT Sports covering all angles of Scottish football, as well as the Premier League down south and the UEFA competitions.
David Weir
David Weir signed a one-year extension at Rangers in the summer of 2007 after initially joining on a short-term contract from Everton.
Now 54 years old, Weir is technical director at Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. He is responsible for recruitment, data analysis, player welfare and generally overseeing the club’s football operations.
Carlos Cuellar
Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar signed for the Light Blues that summer for just over £2.3m from Osasuna. He would go on to make 65 appearances in the 2007/08 season, a Rangers club record.
Cuellar is currently manager of Real Murcia B. They compete in the Tercera Federación, which is the fifth tier of Spanish football.
Sasa Papac
Sasa Papac initially struggled to gain regular opportunities under Walter Smith. But the Bosnian star soon developed into a fantastic left-back for Rangers having been more comfortable as a centre-back previously.
Papac confirmed to the Daily Record in June 2023 that he is not involved with football in any official capacity. He lives in Mostar with his wife and four children.
Lee McCulloch
Lee McCulloch is a Rangers hero having stuck with the club during its most difficult period in 2012. The Chelsea friendly was one of his first games for the Ibrox giants.
McCulloch said in November 2023 that he can’t see himself going back into coaching, assistant managing or managing. He was last at Hearts as Robbie Neilson’s assistant boss.
Barry Ferguson
Barry Ferguson is a legendary Rangers figure having amassed over 400 appearances for the Ibrox club over two spells. Ferguson won 15 major trophies as a Rangers player, making him one of the most decorated in the club’s history.
Of course, Ferguson is now interim head coach of Rangers. He was appointed to see out the rest of the 2024/25 season after the sacking of Philippe Clement.
Brahim Hemdani
At the end of the 2006/07 season, Brahim Hemdani was voted the Rangers Player of the Year by the fans. His last ever match for Rangers was the UEFA Cup final defeat to Zenit before being frozen entirely the following season.
Hemdani is now the manager of Marignane Gignac Côte Bleue FC in France. They compete in the Championnat National 2, which is the fourth tier of French football.
Charlie Adam
Charlie Adam was just 21 when he lined up for Rangers against Mourinho’s Chelsea. He won the club’s Young Player of the Year award for 2007 and signed a fresh five-year contract that summer.
Adam is now working under Everton manager David Moyes as the Premier League club’s set-piece coach. He was sacked as manager of Fleetwood Town in December.
Jean-Claude Darcheville
Walter Smith signed French Guiana forward Jean-Claude Darcheville for free from Bordeaux in May 2007. He scored 16 goals in 56 appearances for Rangers in total.
These days, Darcheville is the manager of the French Guiana national team. They are currently competing in the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League.
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is one of the most lethal Rangers strikers in the club’s modern history. He became the SPL’s record scorer at Ibrox as he overtook former Celtic player Henrik Larsson.
No prizes for what Boyd does now! He is currently a leading pundit for Sky Sports, working across both Scottish and English football. He also writes a weekly column for The Scottish Sun.
Rangers selected substitutes
Nacho Novo
Nacho Novo is easily one of the best bargain buys in Rangers history. Signed for just £450k from Dundee in 2004, the Spaniard soon found a place in Rangers fans’ hearts. He scored the opening goal in the friendly against Chelsea in 2007.
Novo is now a coach for Drumchapel United. They play in the West of Scotland Premier Division and currently sit 5th in the table.
Filip Sebo
Slovakian striker Filip Sebo won’t be forgotten in a hurry, but sadly more for the wrong reasons. The £1.85m signing played 33 games for Rangers and scored just twice competitively. He netted the second Rangers goal against Chelsea as a substitute.
As per his Instagram, Sebo now competes in a number of triathlon competitions.
