McInnes 'embarrassed' as Rangers crash out of Europe
Eurosport · Jonathan Bray · 2026-08-27T20:55:58+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Derek McInnes 'embarrassed' as Rangers crash out of Europe following UEFA Conference League shoot-out loss to FK Jablonec
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Rangers manager Derek McInnes admitted that he was "embarrassed" after his side were dumped out of the UEFA Conference League play-offs on penalties by Czech side FK Jablonec. The defeat means McInnes' team will not play European football this season.
Rangers took a 1-0 lead into the second leg in the Czech Republic thanks to a Ryan Naderi goal at Ibrox Stadium a week earlier.
However, Vakhtang Chanturishvili scored with 17 minutes remaining at Stadion Strelnice on Thursday evening to send the tie to extra time.
With the aggregate score still locked at 1-1, the game went to penalties, where Findlay Curtis and James Penrice missed two crucial spot-kicks to hand Jablonec a 4-3 win.
It is the first time that the Scottish giants have failed to play European football beyond August since they were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Progres Niederkorn of Luxembourg in the first qualifying round of the 2017 UEFA Europa League.
McInnes did not shy away from condemning his team's performance after full-time.
"I'm embarrassed with the performance," he said. "I think the only people who represented the club well tonight were my support staff and the supporters who, to a man, were outstanding, getting behind the team despite watching what we all watched.
"It wasn't a good performance by any stretch of the imagination."
Hibernian were also dumped out of Europe on Thursday night after conceding twice in the last six minutes of their Conference League play-off second leg against Gent.
Following a goalless draw in Belgium in the first leg, Josue Vergara's strike gave the visitors the lead near the end of the first half in Edinburgh.
But goals from Jason Kerr and Felix Passlack after the break put Hibs in the driving seat until the 84th minute when Christian Burgess headed home from a corner.
The game appeared to be heading to extra time when Miguel Chaiwa turned the ball into his own net in the 91st-minute to give Gent a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Chaiwa's miserable evening was compounded further when he was sent off in the 93rd minute.
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Thursday's results were the latest blow in a disastrous week for Scottish football.
Scottish Premiership champions Celtic were also beaten on the European stage on Tuesday.
Martin O'Neill's side looked set to compete in the UEFA Champions League after taking a three-goal lead into their second leg of their play-off against Austrian champions LASK.
They took another step towards the Champions League league phase after taking the lead in the 21st minute of the second leg through Callum McGregor.
However, Celtic capitulated in the last hour of the match at Raiffeisen Arena, falling to a 4-1 defeat to send the clash to extra time.
Things went from bad to worse when Samuel Adeniran scored his second goal of the night to send his side through to the competition's league phase and condemn Celtic to the UEFA Europa League.
Celtic will find out their opponents in the league phase of the 2026/27 Europa League on Friday, with the draw set to be held in Monaco.
Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion secures their place in the main phase of the Conference League with a 4-0 win over Norwegian side Tromso.
First-half goals by Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Mats Wieffer sent Brighton on their way before Olivier Boscagli wrapped up an emphatic victory.
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