Rangers F.C. in Europe

Rangers played their first official match in competitive European football on 2 October 1956. This was a European Cup second round game against OGC Nice of France. The match ended in a 2–1 home victory for Rangers thanks to goals from Max Murray (Rangers' first European goal) and Billy Simpson.

Contents

Overview

The club's first ever match against European opponents, however, was a friendly match against Austrian side First Vienna in the 1903–04 season during a tour of Austria and Czechoslovakia which resulted in six victories from six matches. They won the match 7–2.[1]

In season 1960–61, Rangers took part in the inaugural European Cup Winners Cup. In this season they became the first British club to reach a European final, eventually losing 4–1 on aggregate to Fiorentina. Rangers were also runners-up to Bayern Munich in 1966–67. However, they did go on to win the trophy in 1972 after defeating Dynamo Moscow.

The 1982–83 season saw Rangers play in the UEFA Cup for the first time. They defeated German side Borussia Dortmund in the first round but were knocked out in the following round by another side from Germany, 1. FC Köln. Over a quarter of a century after their first appearance they reached the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. They played Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg at the City of Manchester Stadium, but lost 2–0 in a match overshadowed by the rioting of Rangers fans in Manchester.

Rangers became the first British club to appear in the UEFA Champions League, when in 1992 they defeated Leeds United in a tie dubbed the Battle of Britain due to the clubs being the respective champions of Scotland and England. In this, the inaugural season of the Champions League, the tournament was open only to national champions, with knock-out rounds leading to a group stage of eight teams in two groups of four, and only the winners of each group progressing to a one-off final match. Although unbeaten, Rangers finished second in Group A, one point behind French champions Marseille, who defeated A.C. Milan in the final. The French club were later involved in a match-fixing scandal and were stripped of their national title. It is not clear whether the group stage of the 1992–93 Champions League should be considered as a semi-final, given that the winners of each group went into the final, or as a quarter-final, given that it was contested by the last eight teams in the competition. However, Rangers' second-placed finish in their group made them one of the top four teams in that season's tournament – their highest ever finish in the UEFA Champions League and equalling their 1959–60 run to the semi-finals in its predecessor format of the competition, the European Cup.

Rangers became the first Scottish club to qualify from both the Champions League group stage in 2005–06[2] and the UEFA Cup group stage in 2006–07.[3]

Season 2011–12, was Rangers' 51st European campaign. They have competed in European competitions in more seasons than any other British club. In fact, only Real Madrid, Barcelona, Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon have taken part in more campaigns.

Matches in Europe

Season Competition Round Opposition Score
1956–57 European Cup Second Round OGC Nice 2 – 1, 1 – 2, 1 – 3
1957–58 European Cup First Round AS Saint-Étienne 3 – 1, 1 – 2
Second Round A.C. Milan 1 – 4, 0 – 2
1959–60 European Cup First Round Anderlecht 5 – 2, 2 – 0
Second Round Red Star Bratislava 4 – 3, 1 – 1
Quarter-Final Sparta Rotterdam 3 – 2, 0 – 1, 3 – 2
Semi-Final Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 6, 3 – 6
1960–61 Cup Winners Cup First Round Ferencvaros 4 – 2, 1 – 2
Quarter-Final Borussia Mönchengladbach 3 – 0, 8 – 0
Semi-Final Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 – 0, 1 – 1
Final ACF Fiorentina 0 – 2, 1 – 2
1961–62 European Cup First Round AS Monaco 3 – 2, 3 – 2
Second Round ASK Vorwärts Berlin 2 – 1, 4 – 1
Quarter-Final Standard Liège 1 – 4, 2 – 0
1962–63 Cup Winners Cup First Round Sevilla 4 – 0, 0 – 2
Second Round Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 5, 2 – 3
1963–64 European Cup First Round Real Madrid 0 – 1, 0 – 6
1964–65 European Cup First Round Red Star Belgrade 3 – 1, 2 – 4, 3 – 1
Second Round Rapid Vienna 1 – 0, 2 – 0
Quarter-Final Inter Milan 1 – 3, 1 – 0
1966–67 Cup Winners Cup First Round Glentoran 1 – 1, 4 – 0
Second Round Borussia Dortmund 2 – 1, 0 – 0
Quarter-Final Real Zaragoza 2 – 0, 0 – 2[4]
Semi-Final Slavia Sofia 1 – 0, 1 – 0
Final Bayern Munich 0–1
1967–68 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup First Round Dynamo Dresden 1 – 1, 2 – 1
Second Round 1. FC Köln 3 – 0, 1 – 3
Third Round Bye Bye
Quarter-Final Leeds United 0 – 0, 0 – 2
1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup First Round FK Vojvodina 2 – 0, 0 – 1
Second Round Dundalk 6 – 1, 3 – 0
Third Round DWS Amsterdam 2 – 0, 2 – 1
Quarter-Final Athletic Bilbao 4 – 1, 0 – 2
Semi-Final Newcastle United 0 – 0, 0 – 2
1969–70 Cup Winners Cup First Round Steaua Bucharest 2 – 0, 0 – 0
Second Round Górnik Zabrze 1 – 3, 1 – 3
1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup First Round Bayern Munchen 1 – 1, 0 – 1
1971–72 Cup Winners Cup First Round Stade Rennes 1 – 1, 1 – 0
Second Round Sporting Lisbon 3 – 2, 3 – 4[5]
Quarter-Final Torino 1 – 1, 1 – 0
Semi-Final Bayern Munich 1 – 1, 2 – 0
Final Dinamo Moscow 3–2
1972–73 European Super Cup Final Ajax 1 – 3, 2 – 3
1973–74 Cup Winners Cup First Round Ankaragücü 2 – 0, 4 – 0
Second Round Borussia Mönchengladbach 0 – 3, 3 – 2
1975–76 European Cup First Round Bohemians 4 – 1, 1 – 1
Second Round AS Saint-Étienne 0 – 2, 1 – 2
1976–77 European Cup First Round FC Zürich 1 – 1, 0 – 1
1977–78 Cup Winners Cup Qualifier BSC Young Boys 1 – 0, 2 – 2
First Round FC Twente 0 – 0, 0 – 3
1978–79 European Cup First Round Juventus 0 – 1, 2 – 0
Second Round PSV Eindhoven 0 – 0, 3 – 2
Quarter-Final 1. FC Köln 0 – 1, 1 – 1
1979–80 Cup Winners Cup First Qualifier Lillestrøm SK 1 – 0, 2 – 0
First Round Fortuna Düsseldorf 2 – 1, 0 – 0
Second Round Valencia CF 1 – 1, 1 – 3
1981–82 Cup Winners Cup First Round Dukla Prague 0 – 3, 2 – 1
1982–83 UEFA Cup First Round Borussia Dortmund 0 – 0, 2 – 0
Second Round 1. FC Köln 2 – 1, 0 – 5
1983–84 Cup Winners Cup First Round Valletta F.C. 8 – 0, 10 – 0
Second Round F.C. Porto 2 – 1, 0 – 1
1984–85 UEFA Cup First Round Bohemians 2 – 3, 2 – 0
Second Round Inter Milan 0 – 3, 3–1
1985–86 UEFA Cup First Round CA Osasuna 1 – 0, 0 – 2
1986–87 UEFA Cup First Round Ilves Tampere 4 – 0, 0 – 2
Second Round Boavista 2 – 1, 1 – 0
Third Round Borussia Mönchengladbach 1 – 1, 0 – 0[6]
1987–88 European Cup First Round Dynamo Kiev 0 – 1, 2 – 0
Second Round Górnik Zabrze 3 – 1, 1 – 1
Quarter-Final Steaua Bucharest 0 – 2, 2 – 1
1988–89 UEFA Cup First Round GKS Katowice 1 – 0, 4 – 2
Second Round 1. FC Köln 0 – 2, 1 – 1
1989–90 European Cup First Round Bayern Munich 1 – 3, 0 – 0
1990–91 European Cup First Round Valletta 4 – 0, 6 – 0
Second Round Red Star Belgrade 0 – 3, 1 – 1
1991–92 European Cup First Round Sparta Prague 0 – 1, 2 – 1
1992–93 Champions League First Round Lyngby BK 2 – 0, 1 – 0
Second Round Leeds United 2 – 1, 2 – 1
Group A Olympique Marseille 2 – 2, 1 – 1
Group A CSKA Moscow 1 – 0, 0 – 0
Group A Club Brugge 1 – 1, 2–1
1993–94 Champions League First Round Levski Sofia 3 – 2, 1 – 2[7]
1994–95 Champions League First Round AEK Athens 0 – 2, 0–1
1995–96 Champions League First Round Anorthosis Famagusta 1 – 0, 0 – 0
Group C Steaua Bucharest 0 – 1, 1 – 1
Group C Borussia Dortmund 2 – 2, 2 – 2
Group C Juventus 1 – 4, 0 – 4
1996–97 Champions League First Round Alania Vladikavkaz 3 – 1, 7 – 2
Group A Grasshopper-Club Zürich 0 – 3, 2 – 1
Group A AJ Auxerre 1 – 2, 1 – 2
Group A Ajax 1 – 4, 0 – 1
1997–98 Champions League First Qualifier GÍ Gøta 5 – 0, 6 – 0
Second Qualifier IFK Gothenburg 0 – 3, 1 – 1
UEFA Cup First Round RC Strasbourg 1 – 2, 1 – 2
1998–99 UEFA Cup First Qualifier Shelbourne 5 – 3, 2 – 0
Second Qualifier PAOK 2 – 0, 0 – 0
First Round Beitar Jerusalem 1 – 1, 4 – 2
Second Round Bayer Leverkusen 2 – 1, 1 – 1
Third Round Parma 1 – 1, 1 – 3
1999–00 Champions League Second Qualifier FC Haka 4 – 1, 3 – 0
Third Qualifier Parma 2 – 0, 0 – 1
Group F Valencia CF 0 – 2, 1 – 2
Group F Bayern Munich 1 – 1, 0 – 1
Group F PSV Eindhoven 1 – 0, 4 – 1
UEFA Cup Third Round Borussia Dortmund 2 – 0, 0 – 2[8]
2000–01 Champions League Second Qualifier Zalgiris Kaunas 4 – 1, 0 – 0
Third Qualifier Herfølge BK 3 – 0, 3 – 0
Group D Sturm Graz 5 – 0, 0 – 2
Group D AS Monaco 1 – 0, 2 – 2
Group D Galatasaray 2 – 3, 0 – 0
UEFA Cup Third Round Kaiserslautern 1 – 0, 0 – 3
2001–02 Champions League Second Qualifier NK Maribor 3 – 0, 3 – 1
Third Qualifier Fenerbahçe 0 – 0, 1 – 2
UEFA Cup First Round Anzhi Makhachkala 1–0
Second Round Dinamo Moscow 3 – 1, 4 – 1
Third Round Paris Saint-Germain 0 – 0, 0 – 0[9]
Fourth Round Feyenoord 1 – 1, 2 – 3
2002–03 UEFA Cup First Round FK Viktoria Žižkov 0 – 2, 3 – 1
2003–04 Champions League Third Qualifier F.C. Copenhagen 1 – 1, 2 – 1
Group E VfB Stuttgart 2 – 1, 0 – 1
Group E Panathinaikos 1 – 1, 1 – 3
Group E Manchester United 0 – 1, 0 – 3
2004–05 Champions League Third Qualifier CSKA Moscow 1 – 2, 1 – 1
UEFA Cup First Round C.S. Marítimo 0 – 1, 1 – 0[10]
Group F Amica Wronki 5–0
Group F Grazer AK 3–0
Group F AZ Alkmaar 0–1
Group F AJ Auxerre 0–2
2005–06 Champions League Third Qualifier Anorthosis Famagusta 2 – 1, 2 – 0
Group H F.C. Porto 3 – 2, 1 – 1
Group H Inter Milan 0 – 1, 1 – 1
Group H Artmedia Bratislava 0 – 0, 2 – 2
Last 16 Villarreal CF 2 – 2, 1 – 1
2006–07 UEFA Cup First Round Molde FK 0 – 0, 2 – 0
Group A Livorno 3–2
Group A Maccabi Haifa 2–0
Group A AJ Auxerre 2–2
Group A Partizan Belgrade 1–0
Third Round Hapoel Tel Aviv 1 – 2, 4 – 0
Fourth Round CA Osasuna 1 – 1, 0 – 1
2007–08 Champions League Second Qualifier FK Zeta 2 – 0, 1 – 0
Third Qualifier Red Star Belgrade 1 – 0, 0 – 0
Group E VfB Stuttgart 2 – 1, 2 – 3
Group E Lyon 3 – 0, 0 – 3
Group E Barcelona 0 – 0, 0 – 2
UEFA Cup Third Round Panathinaikos 0 – 0, 1 – 1
Fourth Round Werder Bremen 2 – 0, 0 – 1
Quarter-Final Sporting Lisbon 0 – 0, 2 – 0
Semi-Final Fiorentina 0 – 0, 0 – 0[11]
Final Zenit St Petersburg 0–2
2008–09 Champions League Second Qualifier FBK Kaunas 0 – 0, 1 – 2
2009–10 Champions League Group G VfB Stuttgart 1 – 1, 0 – 2
Group G Sevilla 1 – 4, 0 – 1
Group G Unirea Urziceni 1 – 4, 1 – 1
2010–11 Champions League Group C Manchester United 0 – 0, 0 – 1
Group C Bursaspor 1 – 0, 1 – 1
Group C Valencia 1 – 1, 0 – 3
Europa League Last 32 Sporting Lisbon 1 – 1, 2 – 2[12]
Last 16 PSV Eindhoven 0 – 0, 0 – 1
2011–12 Champions League Third Qualifier Malmö 0 – 1, 1 – 1
Europa League Play-off Qualifier NK Maribor 1 – 2, 1 – 1

Record by country of opposition

Country P W D L Win %
Austria 7 5 0 2 71.43
Belgium 6 4 1 1 66.67
Bulgaria 2 2 0 0 100
Cyprus 4 3 1 0 75
Czechoslovakia 6 3 1 2 50
Czech Republic 2 1 0 1 50
Denmark 6 5 1 0 83.33
East Germany 4 3 1 0 75
England 12 3 3 6 25
Faroe Islands 2 2 0 0 100
Finland 4 3 0 1 75
France 25 7 7 11 28
Germany 47 15 15 17 31.91
Greece 8 1 4 3 12.50
Hungary 2 1 0 1 50
Ireland 8 6 1 1 75
Israel 5 3 1 1 60
Italy 23 6 5 12 26.08
Lithuania 4 1 2 1 25
Malta 4 4 0 0 100
Montenegro 2 2 0 0 100
Netherlands 18 7 3 8 38.89
Northern Ireland 2 1 1 0 50
Norway 4 3 1 0 75
Poland 7 4 1 2 57.14
Portugal 12 7 2 3 60
Romania 8 2 3 3 25.00
Russia 10 6 2 2 60.00
Serbia 3 2 1 0 66.67
Slovakia 2 0 2 0 0
Spain 20 3 5 12 15.00
Sweden 2 0 1 1 0
Switzerland 6 2 2 2 33.33
Turkey 6 2 2 2 33.33
USSR 3 2 0 1 66.67
Yugoslavia 7 3 1 3 42.85
Totals 293 124 70 99 42.32

P – Played; W – Won; D – Drawn; L – Lost

Notes

  1. ^ White, John (2006). The Rangers Football Miscellany. Carlton Books. pp. p. 10. ISBN 1-84442-158-9. 
  2. ^ "Rangers 1–1 Inter Milan". BBC Sport website. 6 December 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4494912.stm. 
  3. ^ "Auxerre 2–2 Rangers". BBC Sport website. 23 November 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6161154.stm. 
  4. ^ Rangers won on the toss of a coin
  5. ^ Rangers lost this match after a penalty shoot-out, only for manager Willie Waddell to point out to the referee that they had in fact won on away goals. [1]
  6. ^ Rangers lost on the away goals rule
  7. ^ Rangers lost on the away goals rule
  8. ^ Rangers lost the penalty shoot out, 1–3
  9. ^ Rangers won the penalty shoot out, 4–3
  10. ^ Rangers won the penalty shoot out, 4–2
  11. ^ Rangers won the penalty shoot out, 4–2
  12. ^ Rangers won on away goals
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