Rangers look for 47-year-old payback

By: Ian Rose | April 23rd, 2008

The day is upon us. To be honest, going into this season, I didn’t expect to see an SPL side in a continental semifinal this year. Even with both of the Old Firm coming off of final-16 runs last season, I just didn’t see either making a run this deep. Still, Rangers host Fiorentina today at Ibrox in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semifinals, and as much as I cringe and say it through my teeth, I’m rooting them on. Frankly, aside from loving how close this season’s title race has become, I really couldn’t care less which of Glasgow’s giants win the SPL this season. They both have their great players, and their not-so-great ones. They both have their great fans, and they both have their numpties. But when it comes to Europe, any side in Scotland has my support, so here goes.

Rangers still have a chance at the quad, an achievement that would more than erase the memories of two trophyless seasons at Ibrox, but there are two very good clubs between them and the occasionally coveted UEFA Cup. The first, Fiorentina, is just the sort of team that Rangers don’t want to be facing right now. With injuries throughout their usually fantastic defense, they face an offense from the Viola that’s really hitting its stride. Back from injury himself, Adrian Mutu is on fire. It is really doubtful that they’ll be able to get by on the defensive 4-5-1 counterattacking style that’s gotten them this far.

It’s going to be a very tough month for Rangers, and by Walter Smith’s own account perhaps the greatest test of his career. There are as many as 11 games in the next 31 days for his side, and with injuries, fatigue and suspensions piling up, I’d have to say I agree with Smith. It’s going to be a long stretch, and aside from their league cup, and probably the Scottish Cup, the other two quarters of the quad are not going to be easy.

On to the title of this blog. 47 years ago, Fiorentina and Rangers faced off in the first-ever UEFA Cup Winners Cup. For you youngsters and football newcomers out there, there used to be three UEFA tournaments, the European Cup (now Champions League), the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (now the UEFA Cup), and the Cup Winners Cup, which I have to say was some of the best football in Europe. Instead of cup winners going into the UEFA Cup to face second-tier league finishers, they had their own tournament. Personally, I think the old EC - ICFC - CWC system is much better than the Champions League - UEFA Cup - Intertoto system we have now. But I digress.

Anyway, in 1961, Fiorentina came calling for the first leg of a two-legged final … an idea, by the way, that was wisely scrapped the next year. Finals should be one-offs, without exception. The Italians dominated, and two goals from Aurelio Milani were enough to put the tie away early. They took the Ibrox leg 2-0, and won the Italian return leg 2-1. It was one of the uglier scenes in Ibrox history, with a near riot at the end of the match, fans knowing that it was all but over already.

We won’t see that sort of display at Ibrox today … say what you will about Rangers fans, but they’re calmer than they were in ‘61. The question is, will the result on the pitch be any different, and can Rangers get revenge for a defeat that took away what would have been their first European trophy, 47 years ago? Not long to wait to find out. Good luck, boys.