Rangers
Boss Barry Ferguson maintained that his team was wrongfully deprived of a
stonewall
penalty after crashing out of the
Europa League
against Athletic Bilbao.
Thanks to Oihan Sancet’s penalty kick and a decisive late header from the impressive Nico Williams, the Spanish team secured their position in the semi-finals.
Nevertheless, as the second-leg match was tied at 0-0 well into the first half of the second period, Rangers vehemently appealed for a penalty when Bilbao’s defender Daniel Vivian entangled with Cyriel Dessers.
It seemed Vivian tugged at the striker after clutching his jersey, leaving Dessers with a large tear in the center of his shirt that required changing.
The Bosnian official, Referee Irfan Peljto, did not perceive any fouls, and even though video replay showed an apparent infraction, VAR chose not to step in.
Although he acknowledged his squad had failed to pose significant threats to their adversaries during most of the game, Ferguson expressed confusion over why Rangers were not granted a penalty.
I sense the pain and frustration felt by the players,” he stated. “Their effort level has consistently been present since my arrival. Perhaps we occasionally fell short in terms of skill.
‘Back then, I believed it was a penalty. Since then, I’ve been able to review it again, and I continue to believe it should have been called as a penalty.’
‘It’s obvious. There should have also been a red card for it, which would have altered the course of the match.’
‘I am let down by both the outcome and the referee’s call. Additionally, during the second half, there was another incident involving Nico [Raskin] which appears to be an obvious penalty from my perspective.’
‘It’s difficult to exit at the quarterfinals stage. The important thing now is for us to take some time to reflect, regroup, and prepare ourselves to end this season on a high note.’
When asked whether he was thinking about taking over the Rangers position permanently after this season, interim manager Ferguson stated, “That’s not something I’m considering right now.”
‘I have represented my childhood team, served as their captain, and even taken on managing them. It has been quite an experience. However, any talks about such matters will only happen once the season concludes.’
The captain of the Rangers, James Tavernier, acknowledged that the squad’s performance didn’t meet the necessary level when facing the favorites for the Europa League.
He stated: ‘In the first half, we were merely shadows of our true selves. The occasion seemed to overwhelm us.’
‘We attempted to tackle this issue during halftime. We were aware that we only had 45 minutes left to resolve it. The players put in maximum effort, yet it was insufficient.’
Regarding the calls for a Rangers penalty, Tavernier commented: “Cyriel noticed his shirt had been torn; these things can go in your favor or against you.”
The Ibrox team leader momentarily lost focus at the far post as Bilbao’s standout player Williams powered in a header, securing victory for the home squad with ten minutes remaining.
Tavernier acknowledged: ‘The second goal is my responsibility; I was focused on organizing and momentarily lost track of the cross.’
‘We need to think about this season; it hasn’t measured up. Significant changes are coming, and things can only improve.’
‘I’ve been genuinely delighted since Barry joined us; he has stabilized the team and understands the essence of the club. It would be wonderful to have Barry with us for the next season, though ultimately, the decision isn’t mine.’
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