Andy Goldstein amazed live on talkSPORT by ‘crazy’ Rangers and Celtic stat
talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein was amazed to learn that it has been over a decade since either Rangers or Celtic last qualified for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Celtic did so on that occasion in 2012-13, while it has been 17 years since the Gers reached that stage as they were eliminated by Villarreal.
Reflecting on Celtic’s 6-0 thumping at the hands of Atletico Madrid on Tuesday (7 November), Goldstein listed off events that have happened since one of the Old Firm made it past the group stage of UEFA’s elite club competition.
“2012-13 was the last time a Scottish side qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League,” he said live on talkSPORT [8 November], with the broadcaster describing it as a “crazy stat” on its official Twitter page.
“Between then and now there have been 3,990 days, five prime ministers, we’ve had Brexit, Barack Obama has served a second term as US president, Leicester have been promoted to the Premier League, won the Premier League and been relegated from the Premier League. The list goes on.”
Europa success
Rangers have not had much joy in the Champions League, it is fair to say, with their most recent experience of the competition ending with an unwanted record as they lost all six group games.
As much as supporters would like to be competing against the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, there is no shame in accepting that the Europa League is more the Gers’ level.
That showed just two seasons ago when making it all the way to the final in Seville, albeit with that campaign ending in heartbreak as Eintracht Frankfurt came out on top.
You certainly do not have to go back a decade to find the last time a Scottish side made a big impact on the continent, then, and the Light Blues look good value to go on a deep run this time around as well.
For that to happen, victory has to be the target when Sparta Prague visit on Thursday (9 November) in what could be another famous night under the Ibrox lights.
In other Rangers news, two pundits were in agreement regarding a “joke” decision that Philippe Clement must now deal with.