Rangers’ elimination from the competition against Benfica is seen as a fortunate turn of events.
Had Rangers progressed beyond the Portuguese giants, they would have gained a welcome financial boost of £1.8 million in prize money, along with additional revenue from selling out a full home stadium.
Despite Gers boss Philippe Clement’s desire to win every competition, he also acknowledges the reality of the situation.
For instance, in the recent match, he opted to start Scott Wright and have Rabbi Matondo and Ross McCausland on the bench, understanding that McCausland had struggled in training.
Matondo was kept on the bench as a precaution in case the game went into extra time, as Clement was aware of his limited playing time.
This scenario repeats throughout the squad, with players like Tom Lawrence needing careful management due to missing pre-season, and Todd Cantwell just returning to training.
The demanding schedule is further compounded by Mohamed Diomande playing consistently since joining mid-pre-season training, which wouldn’t be the case if other players like Nicolas Raskin or Ryan Jack were fully fit.
Adding more fixtures against teams like Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, or Milan would not be beneficial during a tight title race.
While Rangers demonstrated their ability to compete with strong opponents like Benfica, the timing and priorities matter.
In previous years like 2008 and 2022, European commitments led to domestic fatigue, impacting their league performance.
While reaching European finals is prestigious, this year’s focus lies elsewhere due to other priorities.
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