Rangers have been knocked out of the Champions League, leaving fans furious over a controversial red card during the match.
The Scottish giants entered the second leg of their third qualifying round tie against Dynamo Kyiv with the score tied at 1-1. They had hoped a boisterous Ibrox crowd would push them through to victory.
However, the match unexpectedly shifted in the second half. Jefte, who recently joined Rangers, challenged Dynamo’s Denys Popov in a 50-50 aerial duel. Unfortunately for Jefte, he had already received a booking earlier in the game. The referee judged that his arm made contact with Popov, and despite Rangers boss Philippe Clement’s protests, the Brazilian received a second yellow card and was sent off.
Clement called for VAR to review the decision, but he was left dismayed when informed that VAR cannot intervene on second yellow card offenses.
With 10 men, Rangers faced a daunting task. Dynamo Kyiv quickly took advantage of their numerical superiority, scoring twice late in the game to secure a 2-0 victory and a 3-1 aggregate win, knocking Rangers out of the Champions League. The Glasgow club will now compete in the Europa League.
As expected, Rangers fans were incensed by the red card, taking to social media to express their anger. One fan wrote, “Just seen the Jefte red card, disgusting from the ref.” Another commented, “That’s one of the worst decisions you’ll see. It’s not even a foul.”
Clement expressed his frustration, stating: “I reviewed the footage, and it’s clearly not even a foul. He jumps higher than the opponent without intending to use his arm. That decision changed everything. We controlled the ball better against a strong Dynamo Kyiv side.”
Despite the setback, Clement praised his players’ resilience: “Even with 10 men, I’m incredibly proud of my team. We created the better chances and fought hard until the very end. This single decision destroyed the dream of an entire dressing room, and that’s tough to accept.”
Ultimately, the controversial red card decision turned the tide, crushing Rangers’ Champions League hopes and leaving them frustrated and disappointed.
