Souness: Europa triumph would be unmatched
GRAEME SOUNESS believes winning the Europa League would be the greatest achievement by any Rangers team in his lifetime. Now 69, the former Ibrox boss watched his old club win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Barcelona 50 years ago. Given the growing disparity between the finances of the big five leagues and the rest of Europe, however, he believes that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side beating Eintracht Frankfurt would top the achievement of 1972. ‘I choose to go back the ten years, and everyone who has taken part in the last ten years and brought the club back to where they are today,’ he said. ‘I was fortunate to have played for them and managed them. ‘We achieved some things when I was there, but that is the greatest achievement in my lifetime and beyond I think. ‘In 1972, when we got to the final in Barcelona, football was a level playing field then. ‘The difference between the big leagues and the smaller leagues wasn’t so great then. I think this time round the way the game has evolved and the television money that has gone into football, for Rangers to be competing in a final is truly remarkable. ‘The players deserve all the credit going — and the manager as well. I think it’s the greatest achievement of any Rangers team since I’ve been supporting them.’