Giovanni van Bronckhorst's most interesting Champions League second got here when he received his arms on the trophy as a participant as he helped Barcelona defeat Arsenal within the closing at Paris. Now, lower than a few hundred miles away from the Stade de France the place he loved that memorable night time in 2006, his journey as Rangers supervisor will begin within the competitors.
Van Bronckhorst is aiming to steer the Ibrox facet into the group stage of UEFA's premier match for the primary time in 12 years as he seems to kick on from the success of guiding Rangers to final season's Europa League closing. And he realized his first hurdle in that bid after the Mild Blues had been drawn towards Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise.
The Jupiler Professional League facet are making their debut within the Champions League, have a supervisor in his first job as boss and their ultras group even share the identical identify as followers of their bitter rivals Celtic - The Union Bhoys. Van Bronckhorst, although, can be hoping the one noise from the supporters within the first leg within the Stade Joseph Marien is coming from the away finish. Right here, Report Sport offers you the lowdown on Rangers' Euro rivals as they give the impression of being to succeed in the play off spherical.
Who're Union Saint-Gilloise?
We speak about Belgium’s huge three golf equipment Anderlecht, Membership Brugge and Normal Liege nevertheless it’s really Saint-Gilloise who sit third within the desk for all-time high flight title wins with 11 in whole.
Nonetheless, like Queen's Park in Scotland, Union had been the powerhouses of their nation earlier than the warfare with their final league success coming in 1935.
However after a fairytale rise the membership primarily based within the municipality of Saint-Gilles outdoors of Brussels are again once more and catching everybody’s consideration. They returned to the top-flight final season after an absence of virtually half a century and took the league by storm as they grew to become the primary membership ever to complete high after the common season the primary season after successful promotion.
They secured Champions League soccer after ending second behind Membership Brugge within the champions play-off.
Brighton & Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom has helped mastermind their success after changing into the bulk shareholder three years in the past, together with enterprise accomplice, Alex Muzio in a transfer that sees the golf equipment commerce gamers they usually have utterly remodeled them.
Supervisor - Karel Geraerts
A former Belgian worldwide midfielder who was capped 20 occasions for his nation after a stellar profession within the high flight, spent primarily with Membership Brugge. The 40-year-old was solely appointed to the hot-seat this season for what his first senior managerial job. He changed Felice Mazzu, who he had assisted for 2 seasons, after he left to succeed Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht.
Star man - Dante Vanzeir
The sensible Belgian cap is the gem within the facet. Aged simply 24-years-old, he got here by way of the youth ranks at Genk earlier than becoming a member of Union SG two years in the past. Vanzeir made his worldwide debut two years in the past in a World Cup 2022 qualifier towards Wales.
He has electrical tempo and a mind for objective, netting a formidable 13 league targets final season and was linked with a transfer final January with Brighton, Brentford and Atalanta all stated to have an interest however he's reportedly price round £20 million.
However there are different stars and £8 million-rated Simon Adingra is actually one to observe after he moved to USG on mortgage from Brighton this season.
Their work within the switch market, nonetheless, has been modest and that a signing that sums that up is defender Ross Sykes who was recruited from Accrington Stanley for simply £250,000 whereas others to hitch embrace German ahead Dennis Eckert on a free switch from Bundesliga .2 facet FC Ingolstadt and teen Arnaud Dony from Sint-Truiden.
They usually have misplaced some key males with Deniz Undav returning after a mortgage spell at Brighton and Dane Casper Nielsen transferring to Membership Brugge.
Pre-season kind
Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have the ability to get the lowdown from a few of his outdated Feyenoord buddies after Saint-Gilloise routed final season’s Europa Convention League finalists 4-0 in a pleasant.
It’s an indication of the hazard the Jupiler Professional League facet might pose to the Mild Blues. The thumping victory comes after pre-season pleasant attracts towards Brighton and Sporting Lisbon forward of their home league kick off on July 23 which implies they are going to be one week forward of the Ibrox facet by way of preparation in the event that they had been to fulfill.
European report
That is the primary time USG will compete within the Champions League however of their early days loved a wealthy spell earlier than UEFA sanctioned competitions. In 1959/60 they reached the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Festivals Cup the place they misplaced to Birmingham Metropolis, having crushed Italian giants Roma within the final eight.
Stadium
It’s going to be a scramble for tickets for travelling Rangers followers within the Stade Joseph Marien which holds simply 9,400. And, in a unusual twist, they should take heed to the Bhoys - The Union Bhoys - who share the nickname of their rivals Celtic.
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