IN many ways, it is hard to believe that it was the 10th anniversary of the UEFA Cup final in Manchester yesterday, but given what has taken place at Rangers since, in other ways it feels like a lifetime ago.
What an occasion it was, and what a sight it was to behold the sea of red, white and blue that invaded the city. It is just a shame that we couldn’t quite get over the line after such a terrific run to get there.
The highlight for me was beating Lyon, and particularly the performance over in France. They had world-class players like Karim Benzema, and it was a massive achievement to get through that tie and then make it through to the final.
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In the end, we just ran out of steam. We had played so many games that season, and we just didn’t have it left in us to beat what was a very talented Zenit side on the night. They had some really good individuals, and deserved their win, but it was still so hard to take.
So much has happened to the club since those heady days, and it may well be a while before we see Rangers on such a stage again. But with European football secured for next season, you have to hope that there are some memorable nights at Ibrox ahead just like in those times of old.
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The aim should be to get through the qualifiers, which will be tough, and to get into the group stages. For me, that would be a good step towards putting Rangers back on the European map once more.
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