Progres Niederkorn and Pedro in the bush seems like a decade ago, given all that Rangers have achieved in Europe over the last few years.
4th July 2017 was the ominous date of that debacle in Luxembourg but just five years late, look how far we have come.
The following season under Steven Gerrard restored respectability and pride for what would follow. Europa League group stage qualification meant the return of the big nights under the lights at Ibrox, with Rapid Vienna at home acting as the staging post for the first in a generation. It also gave a first experience to many younger fans of the magic that unfolds.
2019/20 saw things go one further, two stages further in fact with the run going all the way to Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16, that was after the pandemic had made its devastating impact on all of life as we knew it. Prior to that, Porto, Feyenoord and Braga were amongst the names to rise and fall.
The next season saw a similar impact but overshadowed by games behind closed doors and then the ugly spectre of racism with Glen Kamara suffering on the pitch, and off it, due tp the actions of Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela.
Last season, wow. Where to begin. Am amazing 19 game run, from Malmo to Frankfurt, Sweden to Spain, out of the Champions League qualifiers and all the way to the Europa League Final. Touching distance from greatness and immortality. It still hurts but so many moments, happy memories on and off the pitch that will linger for years to come.
Four seasons of European football
2018-19 – 14 games
2019-20 – 18 games
2020-21 – 13 games
2021-22 – 19 games
An utterly remarkable period in terms of both the number of games and the quality of opposition.https://t.co/QdIBWo5sw3— Mark Dingwall (@GrandmasterSuck) May 25, 2022
Here is the last four seasons in Europe, in full.
2018/19
Rangers 2-0 Shkupi – EL 1QR, 1L
Shkupi 0 – 0 Rangers – EL 1QR, 2L
Osijek 0 -1 Rangers – EL 2QR, 1L
Rangers 1-1 Osijek – El 2QR, 2L
Rangers 3-1 Maribor – EL 3QR, 1L
Maribor 0-0 Rangers – EL 3QR, 2L
Rangers 1-0 Ufa – PO, 1L
Ufa 1-1 Rangers – PO, 2L
Villarreal 2-2 Rangers – EL Group Stage
Rangers 3-1 Rapid Vienna
Rangers 0-0 Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow 4-3 Rangers
Rangers 0-0 Villarreal
Rapid Vienna 1-0 Rangers
2019/20
St Joseph’s 0-4 Rangers – EL 1QR, 1L
Rangers 6-0 St Joseph’s – EL 1QR, 2L
Rangers 2-0 Progres – EL 2QR, 1L
Progres 0-0 Rangers – EL 2QR, 2L
Midtjylland 2-4 Rangers – EL 3QR, 1L
Rangers 3-1 Midtjylland – EL 3QR, 2L
Legia Warsaw 0-0 Rangers – PO, 1L
Rangers 1 Legia Warsaw 0 – PO, 2L
Rangers 1-0 Feyenoord – EL Group Stage
Young Boys 2-1 Rangers
Porto 1-1 Rangers
Rangers 2-0 Porto
Feyenoord 2-2 Rangers
Rangers 1-1 Young Boys
Rangers 3-2 Braga – R32, 1 L
Braga 0-1 Rangers – R32, 2L
Rangers 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen – R16, 1L
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Rangers – R16, 2L
2020/21
Lincoln Red Imps 0 – 5 Rangers – EL QR2
Willem II 0 – 4 Rangers – EL QR3
Rangers 2-1 Galatasaray – EL PO
Standard Liege 0-2 Rangers – EL Group Stage
Rangers 1-0 Lech Poznan
Benfica 3-3 Rangers
Rangers 2-2 Benfica
Rangers 3-2 Standard Liege
Lech Poznan 0-2 Rangers
Antwerp 3-4 Rangers – R32, 1L
Rangers 5-2 Antwerp – R32, 2L
Slavia Prague 1-1 Rangers – R16, 1L
Rangers 0-2 Slavia Prague – R16, 2L
2021/22
Malmo 2-1 Rangers – CL QR3, 1L
Rangers 1-2 Malmo – CL QR3, 2L
Rangers 1-0 Alashkert – EL PO, 1L
Alashkert 0-0 Rangers – EL PO, 2L
Rangers 0-1 Lyon – EL Group Stage
Sparta Prague 2-0 Rangers
Rangers 2-0 Brondby
Brondby 1-1 Rangers
Rangers 2-0 Sparta Prague
Lyon 1-1 Rangers
Borussia Dortmund 2-4 Rangers – R32, 1L
Rangers 2-2 Borussia Dortmund – R32, 2L
Rangers 3-0 Red Star Belgrade – R16, 1L
Red Star Belgrade 2-1 Rangers – R16, 2L
Braga 1-0 Rangers – QF, 1L
Rangers 3-1 Braga (aet) – QF, 2L
RB Leipzig 1-0 Rangers – SF, 1L
Rangers 3 -1 RB Leipzig – SF, 2L
Eintracht Frankfurt (pens) 1-1 Rangers, Final, Seville.
Around 10 weeks from now, it will be time to do it all again for 2022/23!