Spain media react to Rangers after Europa League defeat v Athletic Bilbao
Rangers were left heartbroken in the Europa League on Thursday night as they crashed out against Athletic Bilbao.
The Scottish giants had their European journey brought to a screeching halt after a 2-0 defeat at San Mames in the Basque Country.
Goals from Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams proved to be enough for the La Liga side as Barry Ferguson’s men failed to find the back of the net.
The Spanish outfit will now move on to play Manchester United in the semi-final of the Europa League, with Tottenham facing Bodo/Glimt in the other tie.
Spain media reacts to Rangers’ performance
Rangers fans will be returning to Scotland with a level of disappointment, but the Spanish media weren’t overly critical of their performance.
MARCA claims that Athletic Bilbao defeated a Rangers side which “made things tough,” which was reflected by the fact that it took until the 80th minute for the second goal of the game.
| Match Stats | Athletic Bilbao | Rangers |
| Shots | 22 | 7 |
| Possession | 56% | 44% |
| Passes | 463 | 371 |
| Fouls | 15 | 9 |
They went on to say that the Gers had their solidity “shattered” when Ridvan Yilmaz suffered a muscle injury, which did impact the attacking options at Ferguson’s disposal.
Mundo Deportivo claimed the Lions were “far superior to a rocky Scottish team,” while Diario AS stated that Rangers were well supported, but ultimately, too “innocent.”
Rangers did struggle to make much of an impact in the game when it came to asking questions of the Lions defensively, and that was ultimately their downfall.
Ferguson may struggle to secure the position
The result was a disappointing one for everyone associated with Rangers, but it might have the biggest impact on Ferguson.
The former Gers captain is only in charge of the club on a temporary basis until the end of the season and has failed to wow people during his tenure.
Rangers fans haven’t been calling for Ferguson to get the job permanently, but a Europa League victory could have changed all of that for him.
Instead, it’s likely that the job will go to someone else, with former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard the current frontrunner.