BERT KONTERMAN reckons Scottish football was crazy to banish Rangers to the Third Division in 2012 – and insists the same situation would never have happened in Holland.

The Ibrox side are on course to play Premiership football once again next term after four seasons outside the top flight.

Konterman won three major honours during his time in Scottish football and is now a youth coach at Eredivisie outfit FC Twente.

And the Dutchman is amazed at what has unfolded in our game on and off the park in recent years.

He said: “It was crazy, absolutely crazy. Because you think bad financial things, and the books not being good then okay, the punishment is there.

“But what the football association did, to relegate Rangers three or four divisions, I think was a little bit too much, too much.

“Also the idea that if you put Rangers far away from Celtic and all the other clubs ... I remember when we played Aberdeen, Hearts, Kilmarnock, all the other clubs were happy that Rangers or Celtic were coming, because all the fans were coming with us and they had full stadiums.

“So also for the future, all the other clubs like Kilmarnock and Dundee it was a big loss for them that Rangers were going down, it cost them a lot of money.

“On the other side, they voted for this punishment, that is what I heard, so that is a little bit of a contradiction.

“I think they have a bad feeling about it but I am happy that Rangers are finally getting back to this level, it is crazy years that have happened.

“But for me now it seems a little bit more quiet, there is a building period now and I hope they will be back to the same level.

“I can't imagine the same thing happening with a big club in Holland, no way. Same at Twente, they did some things with the Doyen Group, and they are really being punished now.

“But Twente are the fourth, fifth club in Holland, the Dutch football association will not relegate a club two or three divisions, not a chance, maybe one division lower, maybe.

“Or they will probably get a punishment in the points they have got already, but not a relegation to the fourth division in Holland and then have to try to fight back, no chance.”