Slavia Prague manager Jindřich Trpišovský has made an incorrect Rangers Europa League claim ahead of the first leg Last 16 tie between the two sides in Prague on Thursday evening.
When asked about the Gers’ preparations, Trpišovský asserted that Rangers would be giving their full attention to European duty despite their considerable title celebrations over the weekend.
“They would prepare for this game in all seriousness even if they wouldn’t be champions already,” said the Slavia manager [SK Slavia Prague EN Twitter]. “It will have no effect on the game on Thursday. For Rangers, it will be the game of the year. The(y) haven’t been so far in Europe for a long time.”
The first part of his assertion is fair enough.
The Rangers players celebrated long into the night at Ibrox on Saturday after a win over St Mirren brought them to the brink of the title and further celebrations followed on Sunday when Celtic’s slip-up at Tannadice confirmed 55.
However, with that now out of their systems, the remaining few days before the first leg will be full of planning as the coaching staff look to give the group the best possible preparation for a high-profile occasion.
The final part of Trpišovský’s claim is patently false, though.
The Europa League Last 16 is far from unchartered territory for Gerrard’s Gers, who reached this stage last season before being knocked out by a strong Bayer Leverkusen side.
Bears will be hoping that this error from the Slavia boss indicates a lack of thorough research on Rangers ahead of the two-leg tie.
The Czech First League leaders represent a step up in quality from Royal Antwerp, though, and they carry excellent form into the first leg.
On Sunday, they backed up a 10-3 midweek triumph in the Czech Cup with a 2-1 win over Banik and like the Gers, they remain unbeaten in the league.
Meanwhile, Dave King has predicted how long Steven Gerrard will remain at Rangers amid Liverpool speculation.
Receive a digest of our best Rangers content each week direct to your mailbox
