JUST-IN;Rangers announces the return of Former winger Vladimir Weiss few minutes ago
While Philippe Clement’s team will have to wait another week to kick of their European campaign, there was a Rangers connection to be spotted in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
When Vladimir Weiss was wearing that iconic blue shirt, a Rangers side guided by the late, great Walter Smith were going head-to-head with Manchester United, Valencia and, to a lesser extent, Bursaspor in Europe’s elite club competition.
That, of course, is the level Rangers aspire to reach once again.
Suffering heartbreak in the qualifiers – a bizarre Jefte red card scuppering their hopes of progresion against Dynamo Kyiv – Europa League clashes with the likes of Malmo, Lyon, Olympiakos and Tottenham Hotspur will have to keep the Glasgow giants content for now.
As for the aforementioned Weiss, with his 35th birthday only two months away, this may very well be something of a personal farewell tour to the Champions League stage.
But if the veteran winger had hoped to bow out gracefully, then this was not what he had in mind.
Former Rangers winger Vladimir Weiss endures dark night
Booed and jeered throughout, Weiss’ return to Scotland certainly didn’t go to plan.
As his Slovan Bratislava side were filleted 5-1 by a ruthless Celtic, Weiss’ hopes of getting one over Rangers’ Old Firm rivals quickly dissipated.
Just to add insult to injury, the Manchester City academy graduate also had former Celtic boss Neil Lennon criticising his every action from the birds’ nest above.
“He has been disappointing tonight,” Lennon said during his co-commentary duties on TNT Sports (18 September, 8pm), feeling that the occasion got to a man who won a Premiership and League Cup double at Ibrox back in 2011.
“He’s been too emotional, Weiss,” adds the former Rapid Bucharest boss, who was keen on bringing Ianis Hagi to Romania during his time abroad. “He’s a talented player but his final product has not been there at all tonight.”
Weiss’ miserable evening was summed up early on.
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