Giovanni van Bronckhorst is all too aware of the magnitude of the Europa League Final with the hand of history reaching out.
With his team one step away from greatness that would come with European glory, he has the chance to have his name in the same bracket as Willie Waddell, following on from Barcelona 1972, as the only managers of the club to achieve continental success.
If they come short, the great effort and campaign of 2022 would be lauded alongside 1961, 1967 and 2008 but Rangers is a club built on winning, not second best. As a player, Gio tasted success in Glasgow with many stories and happy times to recall. He knows the same still applies to the Barcelona ’72 legends and those tales have been recalled this week, with the legendary John Greig, captain of that side, being at close quarters sharing the meaning and resonance with the current squad.
The manager was quoted on Rangers official website:
“I also told my players we have two big finals and of course the final in Seville will give them the chance to be in the history books of this club and really get an historic win.”
“Then the stories they will tell in years to come will be the same stories that the players from 1972 tell to my players.”
He continued, “I’ve said it before you have to dream of something to really achieve it. You can work hard and really give everything to achieve your goal and that is beautiful.”
A Rangers triumph on Wednesday night would be very beautiful indeed, possibly the greatest sight that we all would ever see.