49ers and Andrew Cavenagh react to £40m jackpot on the line at Rangers
Rangers’ new era under Russell Martin will begin on Tuesday as Panathinaikos visit Ibrox.
The Greek side stands in the way of the Gers’ progression to the next stage of the Champions League qualifiers, with the second leg due to take place on 30 July.
But Martin will hope the atmosphere at Ibrox can give his side a chance to put themselves in a strong position for next week’s trip.
A tie against Viktoria Plzen or Servette will await Rangers if they progress, while failure to do so will place the Scottish club into the Europa League qualifiers.
Either way, big money is on the line.
49ers ‘keeping fingers crossed’
Several new Rangers signings are expected to take part in the match from the start, with Joe Rothwell, Max Aarons, and Nasser Djiga lined up for their full debuts.
But Thelo Aasgaard and Djeidi Gassama are facing races against fitness to be available for the clash, Martin has revealed.
The former picked up a knock in pre-season and is unlikely to take part, while the latter will likely start on the bench after confirmation of his signing from Sheffield Wednesday was delayed.
Strikers Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane have been relentlessly linked with moves away from Ibrox this summer, and have missed periods of pre-season as a result.
Neither player is expected to be fit enough to play from the start against Panathinaikos, meaning Brazilian forward Danilo will likely start through the middle for Martin.
| Danilo | In all competitions (2024/25) |
| Appearances | 28 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 4 |
Writing in the print edition of the Daily Record (22 July, page 50), Andy Newport shared that a £40million prize for Champions League qualification is at stake for Rangers.
The journalist wrote: “New chairman Andrew Cavenagh and his partners at the San Francisco 49ers will be keeping fingers crossed Martin’s team progress.”
Martin faces first major test
Excitement surrounding the appointment of Martin was high following his arrival in June.
The Englishman attracted interest from several big clubs in the Championship and, despite his Southampton team’s significant failure in the Premier League, offers an attractive style of football.
But his first test will be one of just getting the job done, with the odds stacked against his side.
Rangers have faced a disrupted pre-season and could be a lot better prepared for this tie, but Martin will hope the Ibrox atmosphere can carry his team towards a positive opening result.
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