Luís Figo to face Rangers Legends in Ibrox 150th anniversary celebrations
Portuguese legend Luís Figo will line up against Rangers icons in a friendly match as the club celebrate their 150th anniversary in March.
Paul Gascoigne is among the club legends set to face a Figo-led team in March 2022 as the Gers celebrate their 150th anniversary with a ‘Weekend Of Legends’, according to The Daily Record.
The Portuguese ex-pro will captain Rangers’ opposition with current Gers coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst set to pull on the armband for his club. The fixture is set to go ahead during an international break in March next year.
Other players set to play for the Rangers team include Gascoigne, Kris Boyd, Michael Mols, Saša Papac and Nikica Jelavić. Meanwhile, the opposition team will feature Gheorghe Hagi, father of Rangers star Ianis, as well as Robert Pires, Roberto Carlos and Roy Makaay.
Figo told Rangers’ website: “I have many fond memories of Glasgow thanks to winning the UEFA Champions League there in 2002 and the Weekend of Legends at Ibrox is set to be another memorable occasion.
“I’m looking forward to captaining a team that will include former World Cup, Champions League and Ballon D’Or winners and best of all, the weekend will raise important funds for my foundation which supports children around the globe.”
Boss and fellow participant van Bronckhorst added: “It will be an honour to run out of the Ibrox tunnel again and join some of my former teammates in this incredible match.
“Playing for Rangers was one of the highlights of my career so it is always a privilege to relive that experience and to do so for a match celebrating our 150th anniversary makes it even more special.
Well-needed nostalgia
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent stop-start effect on the world of football, ‘Weekend of Legends’ will be a welcome piece of nostalgia for fans of Rangers and European football alike.
Van Bronckhorst, who has won hugely impressed fans since his arrival earlier this year, will pull on the Rangers jersey as a player for the first time in over 20 years. The Dutchman left the club in 2001 for Arsenal before returning to Glasgow as manager in November this year.
This seems like an excellent way for Rangers to celebrate their 150th anniversary. The event will also raise money for the Luís Figo Foundation, founded in 2003, which helps “support education, health and sports for children and young people across the world”, according to the club site.
The nostalgia will be a breath of fresh air for fans who have seen Rangers excel in Europe and will keep fans hopeful as the club look to return to their former glories after a difficult decade.
In other Rangers news, a young star could be set to leave Rangers for the Premier League.