SNP’s Humza Yousaf sends message to Rangers fans after defeat in Europa League final
Scottish National Party politician Humza Yousaf was among those expressing consoling sentiments to Rangers fans after Europa League heartbreak.
The Gers lost the final 5-4 on penalties in Seville, with Aaron Ramsey’s miss from the spot enough to let Eintracht Frankfurt lift the trophy after a 1-1 draw across 120 minutes.
Joe Aribo had put the Light Blues ahead during the second half, but Rafael Borre nicked in to equalise before 90 minutes were up.
A massive performance from Calvin Bassey in defence kept the scores level into the closing minutes of extra time, where Ryan Kent had a huge opportunity to win it at the death but was kept out by an incredibly Kevin Trapp save.
Welsh star Ramsey was the only player on either side to miss in the shoot-out to leave the club’s wait for European glory to tick past half a century.
Writing on his Twitter account after the final whistle the MP for Glasgow Pollok said: “Cruel, cruel way to lose it but every RangersFC fan should be proud of their team getting to the final”.
Heartbreaking
All the way along the route through the knockout stages it was feeling more and more like Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team were destined for glory.
And there were a number of points in Seville on Wednesday night (18 May) where it looked that way as well.
But in a game of incredibly fine margins it was not to be and the squad has to lift itself off the floor to face Hearts in the upcoming Scottish Cup final.
Despite playing without a recognised striker for over 100 minutes the Bears held their own, and took the lead through Aribo, when he capitalised on a howler of an error from the Germans’ defence to roll a low shot under Trapp.
Perhaps if Alfredo Morelos had been fit, or even deputy Kemar Roofe able to feature before the closing stages of extra-time, the result would have been different.
But this team has had to go through plenty of adversity on the injury front to reach this stage, and for many the late Kent chance will be the sliding doors moment where a night of delirious celebration vanished into the night.
Yousaf is right that the supporters should be proud of these players, but it might take some time for the agony to subside before they can focus on that pride.
In other Rangers news, a pair of BBC pundits both slammed one of the Gers on the night as “terrible”.