BALOGUN KNOWS HOW TO TOPPLE FRANKFURT
German-born defender on a mission
FOR Leon Balogun, there will be an additional edge to his pursuit of Europa League glory against Eintracht Frankfurt. Born and brought up in Germany, the Rangers defender spent two successful years with FSV Mainz. Any win over Frankfurt was special then. It will be many times more so come May 18 in Seville.
‘I used to play for Mainz and they have quite a rivalry with Eintracht Frankfurt,’ admitted Balogun.
‘So for me, it’s personal as well. I have to make two teams proud. But I am very confident that with this group, with this bunch of players, we can achieve that big dream that everybody now has.’
Balogun was introduced as a second-half substitute on Thursday night as Rangers made their first European final in 14 years thanks to an extraordinary 3-1 second-leg victory over RB Leipzig. A result for the ages was aided by one of the all-time great atmospheres.
What a journey it has been to reach this point. After Borussia Dortmund in the first knockout round came Red Star Belgrade and then Braga.
RB Leipzig’s 1-0 first-leg win further increased the scale of the challenge confronting Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men but Balogun revealed they had the backing of a figure very familiar to fans of Chelsea and Germany.
‘We just took it one game at a time, but I think you have to go into every game knowing that you can make it,’ he reflected.
‘When we drew Leipzig, everyone was going: “Okay, that’s a tough one”. But we had a prominent support, I would say.
‘I spoke to Toni Rudiger a few weeks back and he said: “You know, you’re going to make it, you’ll see”. He was right. Now we have made it to the final, we have to win it.’
That would place the Class of 2022 alongside the Barcelona Bears from half a century ago. It’s a prospect all the more astonishing when you think back to how this season’s European campaign began.
Defeat to ten-man Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers was followed by a narrow Europa League play-off win against Alashkert of Armenia.
When Rangers then lost their opening two group games to Lyon and Sparta Prague, it seemed as though three previous seasons of continental progress under Steven Gerrard might grind to a halt.
But the Ibrox side rallied before Gerrard’s exit to Aston Villa. When Van Bronckhorst then arrived to take charge, their performances were elevated to a height beyond any external expectations.
Leipzig was the greatest yet. It was a display fuelled by the deepest determination to honour the memory of veteran kit man Jimmy Bell, following his sudden passing on Tuesday.
Two goals up then pegged back, an 80th-minute strike from John Lundstram sent Rangers into dreamland.
‘I am lost for words a little bit,’ admitted Balogun. ‘It is hard to describe. It is just unbelievable. If you think about the fact that we didn’t win our first games in the group stage, but now we are going to the final.
‘We have the chance to win the Europa League. There were loads of things going on before the game, obviously the sad news about Jimmy Bell. That makes the win that much more special.
‘Everybody is just really, really excited. It is an incredibly proud moment for everybody connected to this club.
‘That is what everybody connected to this club deserves. We worked hard for it — it wasn’t an easy game. But I think we made the most out of it with the help as usual of our incredible support.
‘What can you say about European nights at Ibrox? I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I almost expected it. Somebody texted me before the game and I literally texted them back to say: “Tonight will be a special night, you will see”.
‘We had a bit of drama with us conceding a goal. But we came back and scored again through Lunny.
‘I said to him on the pitch: “Could you have imagined at the start of the season that you would have this ending to the season more or less?” Our fans are just unbelievable. I have seen some places in my career, but nothing comes close to this.’
Balogun’s career has been a
rollercoaster ride in itself. Without a club after leaving Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2014, the Nigeria international rebuilt his fortunes at Darmstadt before moving on to Mainz and then the English Premier League with Brighton.
Limited first-team opportunities there saw Balogun head to Wigan before Rangers came calling two years ago. At 33, he is living out all of his professional wishes.
‘I have had difficult periods in my career, I had no club for a certain period of time,’ said Balogun.
‘I made it back to the Bundesliga after really just kicking my own behind. I had a loan spell at Wigan and then I came to this massive club. We won the league in my first season. To then get to the Europa League final? I don’t have the words.
‘I am going to have to let it sink in. With the sad news that we received at the beginning of the week, it makes it that bit more special.
‘As I say, I will let it sink in for a few days. But I am incredibly happy, I am incredibly proud. I am happy for every Ranger out there because I think that’s what we deserve as a club, as a family, and I am proud to be part of that.’
A Scottish Cup final against Hearts also lies ahead on May 21. That kind of occasion was in the brochure when Balogun moved to Ibrox, but did he ever imagine going all the way in Europe?
‘I didn’t think about it, but you always have to dream big,’ he said with a smile.
‘I don’t think we started this campaign thinking that we were going to make it all the way to the final. The belief grew with every game, especially after the Dortmund game.
‘We knocked Dortmund out of the way. Now we are in that place that we dreamed of and we have to make it for the club, for us personally, but also for Jimmy. We have to make sure we win both finals.’