The lowdown on Rangers' three possible Champions League 2nd qualifying round opponents ahead of draw
The Ibrox club will face one of three clubs from Greece, Switzerland or Norway in Wednesday’s draw
Rangers will enter the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round draw via the non-champions route as they prepare to take on the difficult task of dining out at Europe’s top table this season.
While bitter rivals Celtic must navigate one play-off round to reach the competition’s lucrative League Phase guaranteed after their Scottish Premiership title triumph last term, it’s a different story for the Ibrox side who must qualify the hard way by coming through three rounds of qualifiers.
And head coach Russell Martin, who is yet to meet his new squad of players, will discover the first test that lies in wait on Wednesday when the second qualifying round draw is made ahead of launching their Euro bid next month.
Their first European tie scheduled to take place on July 22/23, with the second leg taking place a week later on July 29/30 and Martin knows he must recruit more bodies by then.
As seeds, the Light Blues will be expected to progress through to the third round, but they must still overcome a tricky first tie. And chief executive Patrick Stewart has talked up the importance of embarking on a European run for the club.
He said: "A European revenue stream is extremely important to us and, if we can move up a league, to the Champions League, that's an enhanced revenue stream, but that's all about getting it right on the pitch.
“We're looking at all different avenues for generating greater revenue. Ideally, in a way, that means we're not looking to ownership, going cap in hand season after season. It's going to take us a while to get there, but we're putting in place the building blocks.”
So which teams stand in Rangers path of a spot in the the Champions League third qualifying round? There are three possible options and we’ve taken an in-depth look at the clubs in question:
SERVETTE (Switzerland)
- Founded: 1900
- Head Coach: Thomas Häberli
- Ground: Stade de Genève (30,084 capacity)
- Nickname: Les Grenats (The Maroons)
- League: Swiss Super League
DANGER MAN: Miroslav Stevanovic - The Bosnian international is Servette’s main attacking threat. Often deployed on the right wing
VERDICT: Rangers saw off the Swiss outfit 3-2 on aggregate when the two sides met back in the third qualifying round back in 2023. They would be the most familiar opponents and Servette would be targeting a revenge mission should the end up drawing Russell Martin’s side again.
PANATHINAIKOS (Greece)
- Founded: 1908
- Head Coach: Rui Vitória
- Ground: Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium (16,003 capacity)
- Nickname: Trifýlli (The Shamrock)
- League: Greek Super League
DANGER MAN: Fotis Ioannidis - The 17-capped Greece international and club captain is feared most, despite a relatively underwhelming campaign last season. Could be a real difference-maker.
VERDICT: Runners-up behind Olympiakos last term, the Greeks could pose the toughest draw for Rangers, given their formidable home atmosphere, European pedigree and factoring in travel time as well. They have recorded some big results on the continent in recent years, most notably knocking out French pair Marseille and Lens before running Dutch giants Ajax close in Amsterdam.
SK BRANN (Norway)
DANGER MAN: Niklas Castro - An offensive player who has been hugely important to Brann's style of play in recent years. Ruthless from the penalty spot, offers creativity and has an accurate right-foot.
VERDICT: The Norwegian looked impressive as they outclassed St Mirren in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round last season, but they might find the the jump to Champions Level a step too far. However, local newspapers in Bergen reportedly consider Rangers to be the WEAKEST of the three possible opponents they could face.