From Red Imps to Racism

 

I sit here writing this after we've just been put out of the Round of 16 in the Europa League 3-1 to Slavia Prague after losing 2-0 at home in Ibrox.

You'd be forgiven for thinking I'm about to go on a rant about how tonight wasn't good enough, about team selections not being right, and pointing out some individuals who didn't step up to the plate... however you would be wrong.

Instead, I'm going to point out that today is Thursday 18th March 2021 and we just lost our first European game of a campaign that started way back on the 17th September 2020 in Gibraltar, half a year ago. 

Over the course of that 182 days run this team has faced Lincoln Red Imps, Willem II, Galatasary, Standard Liege twice, Lech Poznan twice, Benfica twice, Royal Antwerp twice, and then finally Slavia Prague Twice.

Going into this season I'm sure 99% of fans would have told you making the group stages for the 3rd season in a row would be great, but the focus had to be the league and fifty-five. I know I would have.

Well, that target was reached almost routinely as the team brushed aside Lincoln Red Imps 5-0, Willem II 4-0 in Holland (how many times have Scottish clubs been able to claim a 4-0 win in Holland in the history of European football?) and finally with a 2-1 win at home against Galatasary. 

When the group was drawn I'll admit my first thoughts were "that is a tough group but we could do it". The class of Benfica is of course there for all to see, however, Lech Poznan is not a team to take lightly and Standard Liege at that point hadn't lost a home European tie since 2014.

In that time they had faced Sevilla twice, Ajax twice, Arsenal, Celta Vigo, Eintracht Frankfurt & Benfica so they were certainly not a team Rangers could take likely.

Having not only navigated our way through such a tricky group but also topping it unbeaten, with only 2 collapses against Benfica preventing us take maximum points, everyone at the club could be extremely proud of the campaign and enjoy a few months rest from globe-trotting to concentrate on the domestic goal. Lets also not overlook that wonder goal from Kemar Roofe that was the talk of sports broadcasters the world over.

While the club continued on its unrelenting march towards fifty-five they were handed a draw that even the bluest tinted of glasses would tell you was favourable in Royal Antwerp. Now there are certainly no easy draws in the last 32 of a European competition, and Antwerp had beaten Tottenham Hotspurs in the group stages but there certainly could have been tougher draws.

And what a tie this turned out to be. Rangers have been known for their defensive capabilities this season however, the first leg in Belgium saw them concede 3 goals as they ran out 4-3 winners, although one was a very dubious penalty, and then 5-2 winners in at Ibrox to seal the tie 9-5. A tie that saw an absolute masterclass from Talisman Alfredo Morelos, who was involved in 8 of the Rangers' 9 goals of the tie and putting to shame any of his detractors this season who have seen him become the new "FFS Tav" target.

I feel a special mention should also go to the club of Royal Antwerp here as they were absolutely top class over the course of this tie. Their club was very respectful, their social media tweeting out appreciation of Alfie's great sportsmanship shown in the second leg when he stopped play for an injured player instead of continuing on goal, and they were one of the first clubs to publically congratulate Rangers on winning title fifty-five. Something I note almost all clubs in Scotland still have not yet managed to do.

We had once again made the round of 16, the second season in a row and this time so far undefeated and having topped our group. Something few of us could dream of as we were collecting balls from bushes in Brechin and then eventually arguing in bushes in Luxembourg. However here we were, and with the draw handing us a tie against Slavia Prague many felt it could have been worse.

Once again there are of course no easy ties in the round of 16 but it certainly could have been worse but it is worth noting that Slavia made it into this round having just beat Brendan Rodger's Leicester 2-0 at King Power stadium. That's a Leicester side sitting 3rd in the EPL and able to spend fees of £36.5m on individual players. They were also, like us, undefeated in the Czech league, sitting 14 points clear of nearest rivals Sparta Prague and haven beaten them 3-0 in the league. You may recognise Sparta Prague as the team who's reserves beat that other mob 8-2 in the group stages.

You can forgive the team for starting the first leg in Prague slow, they had of course been celebrating all weekend following our securing of a world record extending fifity fith title. Slavia took the lead through a brilliant goal from Nicolae Stanciu, a player I really liked the look of over the course of the tie. The team came more into the game though as it progressed and grabbed a deserved equising goal through Fillip Helander after some great play from Hagi. 

Both teams could have taken the lead but in reality a 1-1 draw was a fair result. Also deserving a special mention is Alan McGregor's wonder save that defies all logic and has world football, apart from the bitter Chris Sutton and the wannabe barbie doll Robbie Savage, comparing it to some of the greatest saves in the history of football.

So things were finely poised going into the return leg at Ibrox, Rangers with the slight advantage of the away goal. However it was not to be. Rangers again started slowly, the game seeming to pass Arfield by and Balogun struggling at times throughout the game. Slavia took the lead with a cross from the right that found Peter Oliyinka for a free header in the 14th minute and Rangers were up against it from that point forward.

The ref did the team no favours, seeming to allow Slavia to kick Rangers players with no recourse throughout the match but booking Rangers players for confusing things such as Kamara's clearing a ball but then not being able to contort himself midair out of the way of a Slavia player running into the space Kamara was clearly going to be occupying.

Despite this Rangers were still in the game and creating chances, and sensing it was still there for the taking Steven Gerrard brought on Kemar Roofe, a player capable of turning any game... well he did that but not in the way we would have hoped. With a ball played over the top he went in with his foot inexplicably raised at head height and collided with the Prague keepers face. There was no intention of a foul and replays show he was looking at the ball, but that was definintely a silly challenge and a red card.

Rangers fans can be forgiven for arguing against this, especially after seeing Alan Power attempt to decapitate Ryan Jack and get away with it domestically but no matter what way you cut it that was a red card.

Despite this though we were still not out of the tie, until Balogun then received his marching orders taking the team down to 9 men and Stanciu, that player again, scored a wonderful freekick to put the tie beyond doubt.

That should have been it. That should have been how this brilliant European expedition ended... but for reasons unexplainable the Slavia player Ondrej Kudela is seen covering his mouth and saying something to Glen Kamara that not only caused him to react but also Bongani Zungu who was right beside him, and then Connor Goldson once he is told what is said.

Slavia Prague claim what Kudela said wasn't racist, but explain to me why Kamara, one of the calmest people I have ever seen, as well as Zungu, who again I've never seen react like this, immediately are aggrieved and full of rage? Not to mention the reaction of Connor Goldson when he is told what is said? If there was nothing wrong with what Kudela said why exactly did he feel he needed to cover his mouth so that no cameras would pick it up? Not exactly the actions of an innocent man.

Steven Gerrad said in his post-match press conference that Kamara claimed Kudela had said something racist to him and that the club stand with Kamara. Slavia have denied it and bizarrely claimed the white in their badge as some form of defence...

I've seen the reaction online. Kemar Roofe has been exposed to racist vitriol from the Slavia fans. I've seen one fan arguing with one of our own claiming that Kudela covered his mouth so that he could be heard... in an empty stadium. I've seen fans of the mob across the city respond to it by posting old pictures of some racist Rangers fans, as if to say that Kamara and Roofe deserve this abuse because years ago a person who supports the club they now play for was also racist.

This kind of attitude is disgusting, outdated and has no place in the world today. If you are finding ways to defend racism, or posting pictures of other racist incidents in some sort of twisted way to deflect from the event at hand then you are just as culpable as the perpatror. This is not something to point score or defend. This is something that needs stamped out in football and the world in general.

Racism is not OK. If you think it is it is time you educated yourself.

UEFA will now handle the fall out of this. I don't believe Slavia should be evicted and us reinstated as we were deservedly beaten by the better team. However the team should absolutely face some form of punishment. Remember we ourselves had a section of the stadium closed for singing sectarian songs, something that UEFA classifies in the racist territory. So if you can punish a club for the actions of it's paying customers then you surely have to punish the club for the actions of it's employees.

It is sad that we have to end this amazing run on a moment of such regretablness. That the actions of one man can ruin the end of a wonderful story. However to ignore it and try to end the story on a positive would not do the story or the mission to end racism any favours.

This has been a wonderful European campaign, one we should be incredibly proud of, in an already amazing season that has brought us a lot of joy. 

It's a shame Kudela, Slavia fans and that mob across the other side have saw fit to try to end it with such a disgusting narrative. 

We stand with Glen Kamara, we stand with Kemar Roofe, we stand against Racism.

#EveryoneAnyone

The Rambling Ger

Twitter: @GerRambling

IG: TheRamblingGer