Gers tie is our biggest game since we got thrashed 12-0 by Real Madrid ... I hope we do a bit better this time round
Progres president Marochi prays for his side to put on a show in Gers Euro clash
PROGRES NIEDERKORN president Fabio Marochi insists a glamour tie against Rangers is the club’s biggest Euro draw since facing Real Madrid almost 40 years ago.
And the Luxembourg minnows’ chief is desperate to avoid a repeat of their 12-0 aggregate annihilation at the hands of the mighty Spaniards when they face the Light Blues.
Marochi was celebrating news of his side’s clash with Pedro Caixinha’s newlook Ibrox outfit as he spoke to Record Sport moments after the draw in Nyon.
The principality part-timers have never won in a dozen European fixtures and scored just once but he is hopeful Olivier Ciancanelli’s men can cause a huge shock.
Real Madrid faced them in the first round of the European Cup in 1978 with former Bernabeu boss Vicente del Bosque and German legend Uli Stielike among the scorers.
AEL Limassol or St Joseph’s are lying in wait for the winners and Gers have been boosted by the news new signings Eduardo Herrera, Carlos Pena and Alfredo Morelos will be named in their Euro squad.
The necessary paperwork for the trio has been rubber stamped ahead of the registration deadline and – with Graham Dorrans and Jamie Walker still on the radar – Rangers have one wild card place in the squad for any signing made before June 28.
Progres Niederkorn are gearing up for their tie and while they concede they’ll be massive underdogs, club president Marochi is warning Rangers to take nothing for granted.
He said:“We are happy with the draw. We would’ve preferred to play Floriana of Malta, which was also a possibility, as it wouldn’t have been as difficult as Rangers.
“But this game means a lot to our club. First of all it’s important for us to be playing in the Europa League but also because we’re playing against a big team with a lot of history in Europe.
“We played Real Madrid in the European Cup in 1978. We lost the first game 5-0 in Spain and the second game 7-0 at home. That is the biggest game in the club’s history and I would say Rangers are the second biggest club we have played after Real Madrid.
“It was hard to lose by such a big aggregate to Real and I just hope on this occasion we make two great games and don’t lose by such a big scoreline.
“I was actually in Cardiff to watch Madrid’s Champions League Final win but I haven’t watched Rangers before.
“I don’t know Rangers in detail but of course I know all about the Old Firm derby which is a hot fixture.
“And I know Rangers have played a lot of great European games against the biggest clubs on the continent.”
Marochi admitted his side’s home leg will be switched to the 8000-capacity national stadium in the capital Luxembourg City with their own Stade Jos Haupert ground not up to UEFA standard.
And he pointed to other Euro shocks created by sides from Luxembourg as inspiration ahead of their Gers clash.
Former Hearts and Kilmarnock defender Ismael Bouzid featured for them last season but has moved on.
However, Marochi hopes they have enough to stun the Ibrox side.
He said: “In football you always have a chance. Five years ago F91 Dudelange eliminated Salzburg in the Champions League qualifiers.
“And the following year FC Differdange 03 defeated the Dutch side Utrecht in the Europa League qualifiers so nothing is impossible.
“We will give more than 100 per cent. We don’t have professional players like Rangers so it will be a nice experience for us.
“We are only part-time but we won’t be offering a bonus to beat Rangers – the bonus is to play against a club of their stature.
“Ismael Bouzid played for us last season but he has now left the club. We have some other players with good experience though. “Our own stadium holds only 1000 people but the national stadium has a capacity of 8000 so we can welcome plenty of Rangers fans.” Rangers are odds-on favourites to progress with Cypriot outfit AEL Limassol expected to progress in their tie against Gibraltar’s St Joseph’s. Paul Gascoigne made his competitive Gers debut against Cypriot opposition when Walter Smith’s men beat Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0 at Ibrox in 1995. And they held out to secure a Champions League group spot after securing a scoreless draw in the return leg. AEL Limassol lost 5-1 on aggregate when they last faced British opponents after Spurs thumped them to reach the Europa League groups.
I don’t know Rangers in great detail but I know all about the Old Firm FABIO MAROCHI GAVIN BERRY