Rangers history always seems to see them cross paths with Dutch clubs or Dutch players and fate could conspire to throw up a rematch, of sorts.
Two seasons in a row, the Light Blues faced PSV Eindhoven as they sought to make the promised land of the Champions League, where Michael Beale failed, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was successful in a result that looks even better with the passing of time.
Manager of the Dutch giants against Rangers on that day was Ruud van Nistelrooy who could be handed the reigns of a European superclub if he is promoted into the Man Utd hot seat to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag.
Ruud van Nistelrooy could be in line for a Rangers reunion
Van Nistelrooy didn’t take defeat to Rangers well with the 2-2 first leg draw raising the expectations of a comfortable night at the Philips Stadium.
Speaking on punditry duty for ESPN, after Rangers 4-0 loss to Eredivisie rivals Ajax, the current Man Utd assistant coach, was clearly unimpressed when he surmised:
“When you see Rangers play like this, you think: God damn it, how did they get here? On the other hand, we also beat Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Arena. Then you see that football is funny. It can be weird, you know this can happen.”
That Rangers beat his own team to get to the Champions League only makes Van Nistelrooy’s comments even more bizarre.
After all, it wasn’t the first time that he got beaten off Rangers.
How Van Nistelrooy could have been a Rangers legend
Van Nistelrooy could so easily have been starring for Rangers in the Champions League, once upon a time with a proposed move to Ibrox not making it past the first hurdle.
Dick Advocaat was the man who tried to pull off the audacious transfer for a record breaking £15m, only for the lure of Old Trafford to be too strong for the prolific Dutchman to turn down.
Speaking about the 2000 bid, the Little General said:
“We could have brought van Nistelrooy to Ibrox so I called his agent because he comes from the same town in the Netherlands where I was brought up.
“But he told me that there’s no way Ruud will come to Scotland.
“Rangers’ name is much bigger in the Netherlands because of me, but that doesn’t mean to say that it impresses everyone.
“And sadly for us, Van Nistelrooy made up his mind to go to the English Premier League.”
Hopefully, if the former PSV boss is given a promotion by the time Rangers Europa League league phase clash with Man Utd comes around, Van Nistelrooy is left scratching his head once again.
