Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gavin Berry

Rangers to face Liverpool, Ajax and Napoli and here is everything you need to know

If you are going to return to the Champions League group stage after a 12 year absence then you might as well do it in style. And that is exactly what Rangers did. Group A is for Awesome.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst returned to Holland to secure his side's place in the competition with a victory over PSV Eindhoven and will be back across the North Sea again after drawing Dutch giants Ajax. But that isn't the most attractive of a mouthwatering set of fixtures as Rangers face a Battle of Britain and a clash with Liverpool for the first time in their history.

And Italian giants Napoli complete the section which will see Ibrox Stadium packed to the rafters for three of the biggest nights in their European history as they look to progress from the group stage. It's a daunting prospect but it's a glamorous one and the Light Blues will be ready for the challenge. Here's everything you need to know about Rangers' rivals.

AJAX

Manager: Alfred Schreuder was the man the Dutch side turned to following Erik ten Hag's departure for Manchester United. The 49-year-old had previously been in charge of Club Brugge where he won the title. Schreuder has mainly been an assistant, including to Ronald Koeman at Barcelona, before going out on his own.

Stadium: The Johan Cruyff Arena, which holds just over 56,000, was named after the legendary Dutch figure following his death in 2017 and has been home to Ajax since 1996.

Star Player: Brazilian star Antony but he might not be around to face Rangers if Manchester United get their way as they chase the £84million star. However, in an interesting subplot the match will see a quickfire return to Ibrox for Calvin Bassey who move to the Dutch side in the summer.

Interesting fact: The club was named after the mythological hero Ajax, a Greek who fought in the Trojan War against Troy.

Euro pedigree: One of the most successful clubs in all of Europe but are no longer the force they once were. In the days of the Dutch Total Football and Johan Cruyff they won the European Cup three times in a row and then again under Louis van Gaal in 1995.

Recent meetings: The sides met in this competition in 1996/97 and in the two-legged 1972/73 European Super Cup with the Dutch side winning all four games.

LIVERPOOL

Manager: Jurgen Klopp is the man who finally brought the English top flight title to Liverpool for the first time in 30 years.

Stadium: Anfield Stadium is one of the great arenas on a European night and, holding 53,394, Gers can expect around 3500 tickets.

Star Player: Mo Salah is the Egyptian King of Anfield and ended speculation over his future by signing a new deal in the summer.

Interesting fact: Anfield was once the home of Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton before the Toffees moved to Goodison Park over a dispute over rent.

Euro pedigree: Where do you start? The Reds have won this competition SIX times in their history, the UEFA Cup/Europa League three times and four European Super Cups.

Recent meetings: The sides have never met in a competitive match but played a pre-season friendly at Ibrox in 2008.

NAPOLI

Manager: Luciano Spalletti took over last season and the 63-year-old is a dug-out veteran having taken charge of sides such as Udinese, Roma, Zenit St Petersburg and Inter Milan.

Stadium: The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was named after the club's legendary former son following his death two year ago.

Star player: Nigeria international Victor Osimhen bagged 14 goals in Serie A last season and has been tipped for even greater things.

Napoli head coach Luciano Spalletti (SSC NAPOLI PRESS OFFICE HANDOUT HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Interesting fact: The club's first ever match was a 3-2 win over an English boat crew.

Euro pedigree: Lifted the UEFA Cup during the days of Diego Maradona. That was in 1989 and they made their first appearance in the European Cup a couple of years earlier after the Argentinian led them to the Serie A title. The last-16 is their best attempt in the Champions League.

Most recent meeting: No previous meetings

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.