The organisers of the Sydney Super Cup have slammed Rangers for pulling out of the November friendly series.
The Australian tournament, which is set to take place in November during the World Cup, was due to feature a friendly between the Ibrox club and Celtic.
But furious fan backlash including protests during matches followed and finally on Thursday the club announced they would be pulling out, insisting organisers were "unwilling to fulfil their commitments" to Rangers.
But TEG Sport and Left Field Live, the promoters of the event, have lashed back with a statement of their own.
In it, they insist the real reason for the withdrawal is cold feet from the negative fan reaction and refute the reasoning given by the club.
They also insist fans down under have been let down and said: "We were disappointed to wake up this morning to Rangers FC's statement that it will not be participating in the Sydney Super Cup.
"The Rangers board committed to these matches following extensive negotiations over eight months. Seemingly in response to negative fan reaction, they have pulled out of their contracted commitment.
"We have worked closely with all stakeholders to bring this exciting event to Sydney and we refute any suggestions that we were unwilling to fulfil our commitments to Rangers. We have acted in good faith and have put the event on sale with a great response from fans here.
"In changing their minds, the Rangers board has let down many fans in Australia and the Asian region. We will now consult with our stakeholders before determining our response."
