Bayer Leverkusen director waxes lyrical about Rangers after Europa League clash
Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, has waxed lyrical about Rangers following the two sides’ Europa League clash earlier this year.
The Bundesliga club won a pulsating meeting at Ibrox in mid-March, and were due to take a 3-1 lead into the round of 16 second leg before the Coronavirus pandemic led to widespread cancellations of sporting activity across the continent.
But Rolfes has reflected fondly on his visit to Glasgow, as well as heaping praise on Steven Gerrard’s men for their performance against his side.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, he said: “Rangers were competitive and there was a lot of power from the stadium in a fantastic atmosphere.
“They are a good team and were a big challenge for us, but we managed to resist and came to a great mental performance from our team.
“The players loved to play there and it was the last game in Europe with spectators. The players remember the game and the feeling and the fans singing their songs, and they loved it.
“The big strength of Rangers is their quality as a team, that was what we were aware of. Their team spirit and supporters, their mentality and football culture. We knew about that and were prepared. We had the confidence, though, that we wanted to win in Glasgow.”
What can we take from Rolfes’ comments?
There are very few places that can match the atmosphere of Ibrox under the floodlights during a big European clash, and the fact that Rolfes has chosen to speak out on his side’s experience in Glasgow shows just how impactful the famous old stadium is.
It feels like a lifetime ago with everything that has happened since, but the round of 16 first leg tie was a special night, even if the result didn’t go our way.
We may have been outplayed in several key areas, with the Germans registering 65% possession and eight shots on target to our three, as per the BBC, but there was a real feeling that this is the kind of occasion Rangers are meant for.
Times have been tough over the past decade, and two seasons without a trophy under Steven Gerrard have left some – such as Kris Boyd – questioning whether the manager will still be at Ibrox next term.
But this year’s run in the Europa League, progressing from the first qualifying round all the way to the last 16, is a surefire sign that things are on the up.
With a little more patience, these big European nights will become a regular occurrence once again.
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