Jose Mourinho could resist a sly dig aimed towards UEFA and Athletic Club following his side's exit from the Europa League.
Rangers knocked Fenerbahce out of the competition last night, as the Scottish Premiership giants prevailed on penalties.
A two-legged quarter-final against Athletic Bilbao awaits Barry Ferguson and his players in the next knockout stage.
The first leg of the tie will be played in Glasgow on Thursday, April 10 with the return leg in the Basque country a week later on Thursday, April 17.
🗣️ "If Rangers does it against Bilbao, it will be phenomenal because it is going to be very hard." Jose Mourinho on Rangers' chances of Europa League last-eight success, and a subtle dig at referees 👀 pic.twitter.com/bq8qZuvbq5
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 14, 2025
Mourinho insists he expects the Spanish side to progress from the fixture.
However, the Portuguese legend couldn't help but insinuate that there is an ulterior motive behind Bilbao going deep into the tournament.
"In my opinion, I want to be respectful you know," the Special One explained. "I want to respect the guys, I want to respect the coach, I want to respect the fans.
"In football, anything is possible. But, I played against Bilbao in the league phase, and Bilbao is a stronger team.
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"And the final is in Bilbao. The road to Bilbao.
"I don't know what happened today with Roma, I just know that after 10 minutes, Roma were playing with 10 men.
"So, honestly, I think if Rangers do it against Bilbao, it would be phenomenal because it's going to be very hard."
