Rangers see Champions League rivals Plzen force fixture to be axed
Viktoria Plzen have been granted a fixture postponement ahead of facing Rangers in the Champions League after taking their case to the Czech football authorities.
Plzen earned the right to face the Light Blues after coming from behind in the third qualifying round to edge past Swiss outfit Servette 3-2 over two legs
They will now travel to Glasgow next Tuesday to take on a Light Blues side - but going into the crucial showdown Viktoria Plzen boss Miroslav Koubek has bemoaned their lack of preparation time before facing Russell Martin's side.
Rangers begin their Premiership campaign with a trip to Fir Park to face Motherwell on Saturday - just 90 minutes after Plzen's fixture with Mlada Boleslav.
But after taking the row to the governing body, the club have seen the game axed.
Club spokesman Václav Hanzlík said: "Due to Tuesday's match in Glasgow and the associated travel, we have asked the LFA and Mladá Boleslav to postpone Saturday's match.
"We greatly appreciate that both sides agreed and we can now fully concentrate on the very important match of the third qualifying round of the Champions League, which is important due to the coefficient for all of Czech football."
The loser of the clash will be guaranteed group stage football until Christmas at least, with the team that is knocked out dropping into the revamped group phase of the Europa League.
Irked Koubek laid out an impassioned case for why the game should be called off following their European progress.
He said: "The players are euphoric, but our schedule is a killer.
"I don't know if I should even unpack my bags, there's no time for anything, not even to study Rangers.
"Some associations make it easier for clubs and postpone their league round at such a moment. With us, it is automatic only in the case of the play-offs.
"We will certainly be asking the question and I would welcome some help from the Czech football authorities.
"It's extremely complicated for us now. We don't meet the requirement set by FIFA that players have 72 hours of rest between matches. We now finish at midnight on Wednesday night and are supposed to play at 5pm on Saturday.
"We fly home on Thursday, we will leave for Mlada Boleslav on Friday, we will be home on Sunday and we will fly again on Monday.
"The players wanted to celebrate, but I told them they weren't even allowed a single beer. I ordered them to go straight to bed."
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