Rangers set new Champions League group stage record

• Rangers set new Champions League group stage record.

• Rangers go down as the worst team in Champions League history after humbling defeat to Ajax.

Even though the UEFA Champions League is only for the best teams in Europe, there isn’t always a level playing field. Rangers did when they set a new Champions League group stage record.

After losing to Ajax 3-1 on Tuesday night, Rangers became the worst team in Champions League history.

With just one goal scored in six games, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team finished last in Group A with no points and a negative goal differential.

Rangers have now had the worst group stage of any club since the Champions League was renamed in 1992. They also dropped both of their games against Liverpool and Napoli.

The previous holder of this undesirable record was Dinamo Zagreb, who in 2011–12 finished last in their group—which also included Real Madrid, Lyon, and Ajax—with no points and a -19 goal differential.

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On Tuesday night, Viktoria Plzen also tied Dinamo Zagreb’s record by losing all six games and finishing with a goal differential of -19. They placed last in Group C alongside Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Inter.

Speaking after Rangers’ defeat to Ajax, Van Bronckhorst said: ‘Disappointing result, the last 5-10 minutes you think we might get a point if we put pressure on but [their third goal] was really quick. Overall, it was a difficult match for us.

‘We tried to press them but you see the difference in energy levels, they had no game at the weekend and they were much fresher than we were.

‘To compete against Ajax we needed to have the pressure moments but we weren’t able to create those moments. We lacked a little bit of energy to keep pressing high.

‘Well, they had six days off, their league is thinking about their players. They played their last game on Wednesday and they come here really fresh.

‘We, of course, we played a game and have some injuries. We tried but these are teams that are competing for several years at this level. It’s our first after 12 years.’

When asked if he thinks the SPFL should be doing more for Scottish clubs in Europe, Van Bronckhorst replied: ‘Helping, that’s from the league.

‘You asked me what the difference was today, they haven’t had a game at the weekend, that’s the difference. I didn’t say we need help. I just said they have a free weekend.’