Ferguson hails Rangers character after EL triumph vs Fenerbahce

Barry Ferguson praised his Rangers players for showing the character that has been questioned this season after they edged past Fenerbahce following an epic Europa League clash.

Rangers suffered a fourth consecutive defeat at Ibrox but set up a quarter-final against Athletic Bilbao after Jack Butland saved two penalties in a 3-2 shoot-out triumph.

Goals in each half of the 90 minutes from Sebastian Szymanski had wiped out Rangers’ 3-1 first-leg lead after Ferguson’s men missed chances to put the tie beyond the Turkish side.

There were near misses at either end before and during extra-time and Rangers kept their season alive in the shoot-out.

Interim head coach Ferguson said: “I actually thought we played well. The two goals we could have done better but the one thing I have to say, and it’s been levelled against the players, they showed character.

“It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself but they kept going. And obviously you get into the penalty situation and I thought we handled that very well.

“The main objective was to make sure I got this club into the last eight and that’s something we have done.

“Don’t underestimate what happened there. We came up against a top team. I knew after last Thursday that this was in no way a done deal.

“I’ve been to all the games this season and that was something when I was watching Rangers, fine when they go ahead, but when something goes against them, they kind of went into their shell a bit.

“[Tonight] They kept driving on and we showed a bit of mettle. They kept running themselves into the ground.

“I said to them, maybe some people will now start to think these guys have got something about them. And that was one of my objectives when I came in to take the job.”

Ferguson has had four games in charge since succeeding Philippe Clement, winning against Motherwell in the first fixture and now progressing in Europe.

“A lot of people said I wasn’t qualified or the right guy for the job,” he added. “I’m trying to do the best I can for three months and give everything.

“Players are digging deep for me – tonight’s performance and way they carried themselves. Delighted for players, board and fans.”

Mourinho slams ‘strange’ decisions

Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho claimed it was strange that his side were not awarded at least one penalty.

The visitors complained when Talisca was booked for diving after appearing to be caught by Jefte on the edge of the box and Mourinho was booked after strong appeals for a penalty-box foul against Nico Raskin.

The visitors then appealed for a foul against James Tavernier, but the skipper had got the ball with a sliding tackle.

Mourinho said: “We played a fantastic match. Only one team played, only one team scored, only one team deserved to score more, only one team deserved to win.

“Only one team had three penalties that if you don’t get three, you get two. If you don’t get two, you get one. If you don’t get one out of three, everything is strange.

“But it’s also strange the way we were knocked out of the Champions League with a VAR penalty on minute 120.”

Mourinho went on to reference previous controversy, as he brought up his Roma side’s 2023 Europa League final defeat by Sevilla, after which he received a four-match UEFA ban for his criticism of English referee Anthony Taylor.

Mourinho said: “The only thing that is still in the back of my mind is if everything that happened to my team this season in Europe, if it has something to do with the Budapest final.

“I want to think it has nothing to do with it, it’s just bad luck, and nothing has to do with that. I want to think that way.”