Rangers endured a night of "abject humiliation" and "total ineptitude" as they were knocked out of the UEFA Conference League qualifiers by Czech side Jablonec. The 1-0 defeat in the second leg, following a 1-1 aggregate draw, saw Rangers lose 4-3 on penalties, marking their first absence from a European group stage since 2017.
The performance has drawn sharp criticism, with one report stating it was "on a whole different level" of failure compared to previous European exits. Jablonec, described as "third-rate opposition in a third-rate competition," secured their victory after Rangers' James Penrice and Findlay Curtis missed crucial penalties in the shootout. However, the blame is largely placed on manager Derek McInnes, who has overseen a significant squad overhaul with a dozen new players brought in.
"This is his team. This result is on him as manager," the report stated, noting the irony that McInnes's former club Hearts had secured a group-stage place after beating Rapid Vienna. The excuse of new players needing time to integrate is dismissed given the club's obligations against an opponent of Jablonec's caliber.
Match Summary
Rangers entered the second leg with a slim 1-0 lead from the first match. The game, played in a small stadium with just under 6,000 fans, lacked intensity in its opening stages. Jablonec had an early chance when Lamin Jawo went through on goal but shot into the side netting. Rangers struggled with creativity, and striker Ryan Naderi was largely isolated.
At halftime, McInnes made a triple substitution, bringing on Lawrence Shankland, Findlay Curtis, and Connor Barron, and changing the team's shape. While Rangers showed a brief improvement, they remained vulnerable. Jablonec equalized in the 73rd minute through Vakhtang Tchanturishvili, whose shot deflected past goalkeeper Ivor Pandur. The goal was a fair reflection of a performance described as "awful... completely devoid of any guile or artistry."
Rangers failed to muster a significant response in the remaining 15 minutes of regulation time, finishing the 90 minutes with only one shot on target. Despite further substitutions and the introduction of Bojan Miovski in extra time, Rangers could not break down the Jablonec defense. Jablonec also had chances, with Filip Novak forcing a save from Pandur.
Penalty Shootout
The tie ultimately went to penalties. Rangers initially had an advantage when Pandur saved Jablonec's third spot-kick. However, Curtis blazed his penalty over the bar, and Penrice's effort was saved by Jablonec goalkeeper Jan Hanus. Jan Chramosta then converted his penalty to seal the victory for the Czech side.
The result draws parallels to Rangers' previous European embarrassments, including exits against Progres Niederkorn and Club Brugge. With upcoming fixtures against Aberdeen and Celtic, McInnes faces mounting pressure following this "humiliation."