Vercauteren has no safety concerns Over visitors

Rangers in talks with SFA over coronavirus breaches

ROYAL Antwerp manager Franky Vercauteren yesterday stressed he has no concerns about facing Rangers in a Europa League last-32 tie in Belgium tonight – despite five of the Ibrox club’s players being forced to self-isolate for breaking Covid-19 rules.

Vercauteren’s opposite number Steven Gerrard has revealed that Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude, Nathan Patterson and Bongani Zungu have all been fined by the Ibrox club and ordered to quarantine.

The quintet were issued with fixed penalty notices by Police Scotland in the early hours of Sunday morning for breaching coronavirus lockdown guidelines and attending a gathering of 10 people in a flat in Hyndland in Glasgow.

Gerrard, who admitted that he felt personally let down by the actions of the players, confirmed that Rangers are in dialogue with the SFA and the Scottish government about how to proceed.

Left-back Bassey, right back Patterson and central midfielder Zungu are all members of the first team squad and were likely to have been on the substitutes’ bench in the match in the Bosuilstadion tomorrow evening. However, former Belgium winger Vercauteren (inset) is confident that no UEFA guidelines have been broken and stated that he is content for the match ahead as scheduled.

“I am always happy with the rules,” he said. “I am not going to complain about that. You have no chance to discuss it or to change it. These are the rules, this is the way it works. So deal with it. There is no point using energy to think about it.”

Vercauteren, who could be missing as many as eight players due to injury and suspension, admitted he is sad the Europa League last 32 double to go header will be played behind closed doors because of the pandemic.

He recalled how he attended an Old Firm match in Scotland during his time as assistant manager of his national team and wanted to play the second leg in front of a full house at Ibrox.

“It is a pity in general,” he said. “Antwerp has a very fanatic support. We can use them, they are a help to us when we play at home. Nobody wants to come here and face the Antwerp public. We will miss them.

“But miss the Because

I will Ibrox if you also support. are involved in football you want to play in these games, with a full stadium and this atmosphere. It is maybe to our advantage, but if you are a football fan or a coach of a top team you want to play in the best atmosphere with a lot of fans even if the fans help the home team.

“It is a pity we cannot play with the public. It would be much, much better. I will miss the Ibrox fans. I had the opportunity once to see a local derby, Rangers against Celtic. These are the moments you want to live, it is why we play football, to be in that atmosphere and play.

“I was scouting for the national team. As an assistant I was going left and right to see games and follow players in dif

ferent competitions. That is the reason for my visit. I was able to sometimes choose the game. It is a very good memory.”

Asked about his injury problems, Vercauteren said: “We are missing some players and we are weak around the offensive area in general. We don’t get a lot of goals.

“If you play in Europe, play at a high level, you know how difficult it can be to score goals, to create chances. At this stage you know how good your opponents are going to be. But to score goals in different ways is the responsibility of the whole team. We are winning together, we are losing together, so we are all responsible for that. It is a collective problem.

“You will know the team tomorrow. I will not tell you now. Two players are recuperating today, [Jeremy] Gelin and [Birger] Verstraete, who were not in the squad for the last game. They were not completely sharp or fit, but these 24 hours will be important for them.

“We will probably be without seven or eight players. But this is the reality, we have to deal with that. We still have to believe that the squad or the team is able to challenge and beat Rangers. It can sometimes be a reason, but we are not going to look for excuses because of the fact that some players are not playing. We will believe fully and give the confidence and responsibility to the team and the substitutes. This is what we have to deal with.”

STEVEN Gerrard has revealed that Rangers are engaged in ongoing dialogue with both the Scottish FA and the Scottish Government after five Ibrox players were found to have breached coronavirus rules.

Gerrard yesterday confirmed that Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude, Nathan Patterson and Bongani Zungu have all been fined by the Ibrox club and ordered to self-isolate. They were issued with fixed penalty notices by Police Scotland in the early hours of Sunday morning for breaking social-distancing guidelines and attending a gathering of 10 people in a flat in Hyndland in Glasgow.

It is the second time in three months that Rangers players have ignored public health guidelines – George Edmundson and Jordan Jones were both fined by police in November.

Edmundson and Jones, who left Ibrox on loan for Derby County and Sunderland respectively during the January transfer window, were disciplined internally and issued with seven-game bans by the SFA.

Gerrard, who admitted that he felt personally let down by the actions of the players, told Rangers TV yesterday: “I think first and foremost, we have to acknowledge that five of our players have been involved in a breach of the Covid regulations which, from the top of the club to the bottom, we are all really disappointed in.

“That will be dealt with internally and the players will be fined and we are in dialogue with the SFA and the government moving forward to find the solution in-terms of those boys.

“They have been removed from the club and the squad for now on a short-term basis while they isolate and I will sit down with all of those boys face to face once we are allowed to do so.”

Gerrard added: “We will certainly move forward from it. We are at a real, critical stage in terms of the games coming up and where we are as a club. It won’t affect us as a group. I have been absolutely delighted with the group in terms of their application.”

Holyrood asked the SPFL to cancel two Aberdeen and two Celtic games back in August after eight of the Pittodrie club’s players and one Celtic player were found to have flouted coronavirus rules.

Gerrard added: “I feel personally let-down by recent events but I am trying to move forward and focus on the important things which is to prepare the team for a huge game against Antwerp.

“I am really excited and looking forward to the game and so are the players.”

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