Rangers fired Europa League warning by Jagiellonia Bialystok boss
· Andy Newport · 2026-08-12T18:16:03+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Rangers fired Europa League warning as Bialystok boss insists they aren't just coming to 'survive' at Ibrox
The Polish side take a narrow 2-1 lead to Ibrox on Thursday as the teams battle it out for a place in the final Europa League qualification hurdle
Bialystok boss Adrian Siemieniec insists Jagiellonia have to find a way to thrive at Ibrox - not just survive.
The Poles have come to Glasgow packing a 2-1 lead from last week’s first leg at the Chorten Arena.
But Siemieniec knows his side are going to have it much tougher with the Light Blue legions urging their side to deliver Derek McInnes his first win as Rangers boss and keep alive hopes of reaching the Europa League group stage.
However, he doesn’t just want to see his players hold on to their lead and has urged them to run out looking to extend it.
He said: “I don't have the impression that anything came easily to us in the first match.
“When facing an opponent of this caliber, it might sometimes seem like something could be easy, but it's never that simple.
“Above all, you have to reach the right level of quality in your game.
"There's a lot of talk before this match that Jagiellonia has to survive here or it'll be tough for us.
“I'm well aware of the opponent's strength, the power of this venue, these stands.
“At least I imagine so, since I've never been here. It will certainly be a strong advantage for the hosts.
"On the other hand, we have a clearly defined identity. This Jagiellonia has reached this point because it identifies with a certain style of play. That's just who we are, and we can't be anything else.
“Of course, we evolve and develop, but our identity is clearly defined. We're a team that wants to play with the ball, be proactive, create situations and threats.
“We know a tough match awaits us, but we didn't fly here to just survive—we came to win and advance further.
“That's our goal. If we want to play higher than the Conference League, we have to win on big stadiums against big clubs. We can't avoid that.
“We have a test ahead of us that we're facing, and we're thrilled to come here, put on a show, and compete with a club like this for a spot in the Europa League.
“We're not doomed to lose. We want to do everything to win, not just to survive. It's a very tough task, but we believe we can pull it off.”
Gers boss McInnes has been rocked by a double injury hammer blow, with Youssef Chermiti and Tuur Rommens both ruled out of the Ibrox return clash.
But Siemieniec has concerns of his own after both skipper Taras Romanczuk and former Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi nursing knocks after Sunday’s domestic defeat to Widzew Lodz.
But he said “I believe they will be available.
“With such a short timeframe—admittedly a bit longer for Taras, since he didn't play against Widzew—it's hard to say for sure, but at this moment, the forecasts are optimistic. I believe both will be at my disposal, and I'll be able to consider them.
“I don't want to speak for the Rangers coach - that’s not my team or area of expertise.
“But we're aware that Rangers have a strong squad and lineup with a lot of quality not just in the starting eleven. No matter what combination they field, it'll be a very strong team that's hard to beat.”