Rangers are preparing for a trip to Feyenoord as they look to book a place in the Europa League last 32, but there’s an interesting battle with an old friend-come-foe which lies in wait in Rotterdam.
Dick Advocaat was Rangers boss between 1998 and 2001 and his tenure at Ibrox is remembered for a trophy-laden spell filled with international superstars.
Advocaat gave Rangers a domestic treble in his first season, five trophies and a long-standing connection with some of the best Dutch players of a generation.
But one thing Advocaat couldn’t deliver for Rangers – as many bosses before and after him couldn’t either – was a European trophy to add to the 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup win.
Ironically, it was Advocaat who stood in the way as Rangers stumbled in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final to Zenit St. Petersburg.
Rangers lost 2-0 amid long-standing complaints about fixture scheduling, but that’s not exactly Advocaat’s fault.
The wily Dutch coach is a winner and someone who has proven time and again he has the tactical nous to lead a variety of sides under a variety of different guises and styles.
Now in charge of Feyenoord after the sacking of Jaap Stam [Feyenoord], this is a chance for Rangers to exact a modicum of revenge on the European stage against their former boss.
And just as there was no hard feelings back in 2008 when Advocaat pipped Rangers in Manchester, there should be none if we can topple the Dutchman in Rotterdam and earn our knockout place.
It adds an extra dimension to what should be a mouthwatering clash in Holland.
