Latest news with #MohamedDiomande
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Rangers unfazed by Panathinaikos atmosphere
Rangers are "ready to deliver again" and will not be fazed by a hostile atmosphere at Panathinaikos, says midfielder Mohamed Ibrox side take a two-goal lead to Athens in the second leg of their second round Champions League head coach Rui Vitoria said Rangers "will understand that it is not easy to play in Athens" - but Diomande insists they can handle it."There are a lot of players who have played in this situation before," the midfielder said prior to Wednesday's second leg, which you can watch live on the BBC."Lots of us are used to this, playing week in, week out at Ibrox. I don't think there's going to be any pressure on us. "I know our fans will be loud and that will push us. We've been preparing really well and we are ready to deliver again."
The National
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Rangers transfer target 'willing to take on' next challenge
Go Ahead Eagles have been primed to expect an offer from Rangers for the Finnish international winger. Sheffield United have been heavily linked with a move for Antman, after the 23-year-old provided 15 assists in 32 league games during his first season in the Eredivisie. It's understood, however, that Rangers have taken a firm interest in the right sided attacker. Signed last summer from Nordsjaelland, where Antman played with Mohamed Diomande, Go Ahead Eagles are looking for a fee in excess of £5million for one of the break out stars of Dutch football and have been told to prepare for an offer from Ibrox by intermediaries. Read more: Now, in an interview in the Netherlands, Antman has revealed that after a stellar campaign last time out, he's open to looking at the next step of his career. "Last season was so good for me that the next step would be logical," the player told Voetbal International. "If something good comes along, I'm willing to take on that challenge. "I do think this is the moment to take a step forward, just like Paul Simonis and Enric Llansana did. "The club wouldn't have expected me to be worth four times what they paid for me a year ago either. "I want to play in a top league one day and compete in the Champions League. A club in a top-five league would be fantastic, but there are also great clubs in other countries."
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Diomande feeling at home after early Rangers 'shock'
Mohamed Diomande feels he has developed the mental strength required to be a success at Rangers after initially finding the demands at Ibrox "a shock".The Ivorian midfielder arrived in Glasgow in 2024 on an initial loan deal from Danish side FC Nordsjælland before making the move he believes he is now ready to show the best of himself as he gears up to take on Panathinaikos in the second leg of the second round of Champions League qualifying in Athens on Wednesday."I'm learning and progressing as a player every day," Diomande told BBC Scotland."So I'm happy that I'm playing at this level because it's also something I have wanted since I was young, to experience all of this, to play in a bigger club and to play in front of 50,000 fans."I feel like there's still more for me that I need to show. Maybe the people have not seen it. Maybe some people have, but I think there's still more I can give."Diomande says he is relishing working under Russell Martin and explained that the new head coach wants to make only subtle changes to his game."I would say he wants me to not do much different, but to be patient and to stay in the position, to trust that my team-mates are going to find me in the right position, then I can do the damage, I can maybe give the final pass," he said."I'm just doing what he has asked me to do. It would be amazing [to progress] because we want to do everything we can to get in the Champions League, to be part of it."
Scottish Sun
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Mohamed Diomande opens up on his Rangers future amid transfer talk as he admits ‘Ibrox is not an easy place'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MOHAMED DIOMANDE has dismissed talk of a move away from Rangers this summer. The midfielder has been linked with Turkish side Besiktas as well as Everton and West Ham. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 4 Mohamed Diomande is a fan favourite at Rangers Credit: Willie Vass 4 Diomande celebrates last week's 2-0 win over Panathinaikos Credit: Getty But as he set his sights on helping Rangers reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League Diomande insisted: "I'm happy at Ibrox. 'I don't see much speculation or what is written. 'I'm a Rangers player so I'm really focused to give my best for this season. 'For me, it's a dream to play in these European games. 'Growing up, I always wanted to play in big competitions in Champions League and Europa League and now I have a chance to show myself. 'Also, there are people watching me back home and I'm just happy to play in this competition. 'I hope we can get the result we want and be in the next round. 'I've learned to be tough mentally. I know Ibrox is not an easy place. 'I've been here one year now and I think it's helped me to be tough mentally. 'Like I said, I'm just happy I'll be able to play a lot of football now and we'll be dominating a lot in the league.' New Rangers star Mohamed Diomande close to tears as he says goodbye to old team-mates over 40,000 fanatical fans are set to turn up the heat in the stands. Temperatures pushing 40 degrees at kick-off will ensure there's no respite on the pitch. But Rangers boss Russell Martin has vowed his players WILL keep their cool in the blazing Athens furnace. The Gers gaffer said: 'We had an extremely hot week in St George's, where the guys had to work really, really hard and cover a lot of distance. 'That will help prepare us, but it's the same for both teams. 'We have to manage the game in the best way possible, in our way, for us. 'And I think the players are ready for that.' A place in the third qualifying round of the Champions League is up for grabs in the Olympic Stadium. Panathinaikos - who had defender Giorgos Vaglannidis sent off in last week's first leg - are bidding to overturn a 2-0 deficit. 4 29.07.2025 Rangers MD-1 training: Russell Martin Credit: Willie Vass Boss Rui Vitoria is banking on the backing of a hostile home support to help the Greeks. But Martin insisted: 'They need to display courage, discipline, aggression in the right areas, intensity, all of it. 'And nothing will change. 'We can talk about the approach for this game, but it's not going to change. 'We have to be the team we want to always be. 'I think this football club demands that and we'll certainly demand that as a staff. 'Late on in the game and stuff like that, you have to manage it as well as you possibly can, depending on the situation. 'But the approach going into it has certainly not been any different. 'We have a lot of international players. 'I think we have to manage the game and take the crowd out of it as much as we possibly can by doing it in our way and trying to dominate in as many aspects as we can. 'I think I'm looking forward to the atmosphere. Rangers transfer special as Russell Martin eyes THREE wingers, Coady latest and Dowell future 'It'll be a really good experience for the guys, but we have a lot of guys that have played in big games, big occasions and for this football club. 'I'm really confident the guys can handle that.' Martin expects Panathinaikos to come flying out the traps in the Olympic Stadium. The Greeks need at least three goals on the night and they're praying the stifling conditions will play a part. Yet Martin believes his team are prepared for what lies ahead. He stressed: 'They did that last week as well. 'They didn't come to Ibrox trying to defend and get us on the counter-attack. 'They stuck to their game plan with the games that we watched previously. 'They weren't defensive in their mentality or approach or tactically at all. 'We have to bring our own game plan and try to instil that as much as we possibly can. 'The opportunities need to be ones that we create. 4 'I don't expect to be given any opportunities and I don't expect us to give them any. 'Both teams are going to have to work hard to try to create that, however that looks. 'Maybe it's on a regain, maybe a counter-attack, maybe set-piece. 'Maybe it's by being patient and waiting with the ball. 'So, we'll just have to wait and see. But the guys are, I think, really ready. 'We took a lot, so much learning from last Tuesday night. 'And I think we have to make sure we take that into tomorrow. 'For me it's the same situation we found ourselves in before the first game. 'It's a tough game against a good opponent that we have to be really ready for, and I think we'll be better than we were last week. 'We have to be, and it's down to these guys when they step out over the white line to make sure we stick to the work and the detail and really believe in what we're doing.' Martin hinted that he could start Djeidi Gassama - the man who came off the bench to score at Ibrox last week. The Gers boss admitted: 'He's ready to start. 'He had a big impact for us when he came on. 'You saw plenty of the reasons why we wanted to sign him. 'It's early, early days, but Gass is a player that really excites us and I think can make a big difference for us. 'And hopefully, he does the same again tomorrow night.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Mohamed Diomande has bullish Rangers response for Panathinaikos boss after ominous warning
The midfielder is living the dream in Europe with Rangers and is confident his team mates will deliver the goods in Athens They avoided combusting in a Piraeus powderkeg and kept their cool in a Fenerbahce fire pit. Now, a season on from passing those red hot tests in some of Europe's most volatile arenas, Mohamed Diomande is confident Rangers are ready to put out Panathinaikos' flame in Athens' Olympic Stadium. Diomande insists there's no fear heading into the Champions League qualifying crunch. Not after coming through last season's incendiary clashes with Olympiacos and Fenerbahce on their way to the Europa League quarter final. The midfielder excelled on both those occasions in a 1-1 draw against the side that would go on to become Greek champions and then a 3-1 win that dumped the Special One, Jose Mourinho, in the Turkish side's version of hell. So when Panathianaikos boss Rui Vitoria attempted to get into Rangers' heads by warning that no visiting team finds it easy against his side in Athens then Diomande wasn't buying it. He is confident his team mates have the icy characters required to handle whatever's thrown at them, maybe even literally, and to stick devoutly to the game plan. The Greeks might be lodging at the magnificent 70,000 stadium meaning their notorious 'Gate 13' ultras are off home territory - but Vitoria insists a 'hot atmosphere' still awaits. But asked if he was confident his team mates would cut through the mind games and produce another big result on foreign soil, Diomande said: 'Yes, we have prepared really well and we are ready to deliver on Wednesday night. 'There's a lot of players who have played in this situation before. "A lot of us are used to this kind of thing, also because we play week in and week out at Ibrox. 'So I don't think there's going to be any pressure on us. And I know our fans are going to be loud and that's going to push us to be ready for them as well. 'We just stick to our plans. That is what the coach taught us during the week. We are going to do as much as we can to stick to the plan and give our best." Diomande's first taste of Champions League qualifiers ended in heartache a year ago as Rangers were dumped out by Dynamo Kiev at the first hurdle after having to play their home tie at Hampden with Ibrox undergoing delayed renovations. But despite struggling to lift themselves back off the canvas for the domestic game, Rangers again thrived in the continental arena with big results against Nice, Olympiacos, Fenerbahce and eventual winners Tottenham. The Ivory Coast international admits he is living the dream running out in UEFA competition. But this time he wants an extended run in the continent's money-spinning premier cup competition. To guarantee the £40m league phase dream remains on course they must first ensure they don't throw away a two goal lead against pumped-up Pana who blew three glorious chances to take the lead at Ibrox last week. Diomande said: 'For me, it's a dream to play in these European games. 'Growing up, I always wanted to play in big competitions in Champions League and Europa League and now I have a chance to show myself. 'Also, there are people watching me back home and I'm just happy to play in this competition. I hope we can get the result we want and be in the next round.' Diomande is entering his second full season at Ibrox after turning an initial loan spell into a permanent move in a £4.5m deal from Nordsjaelland last summer. His tireless box-to-box performances have brought admiring glances from across the continent with Besiktas and Everton among those linked with moves. But the 23-year-old insists he is paying no attention to speculation and is interested only in continuing to improve as a player under the new management team. Diomande has been a first pick in the engine room so far this campaign. He started on the right of the midfield three in last week's first leg and is expected to play a similar role this evening. And asked about the interest from other clubs he said: 'I'm happy at Ibrox. I don't see much speculation or what is written. I'm a Rangers player so I'm really focused to give my best for this season. 'To be honest, I think it's been amazing under the new manager. 'I want to be on the ball a lot and I'm happy that he's bringing his ideas. I want to grow as a player and I'm happy that I get his help to reach my goals here. 'I've learned to be tough mentally. I know Ibrox is not an easy place. 'I've been here one year now and I think it's helped me to be tough mentally. Like I said, I'm just happy I'll be able to play a lot of football now and we'll be dominating a lot in the league.' After 18 months in Govan, Diomande is now one of the longest serving players in Martin's squad. He's added leadership on the park to his game. And off it he's trying to be a mentor to the raft of new signings arriving this summer. He said: 'I'm already trying to do that. There are some new players that speak French and I try to help them as much as I can. 'I really hope they can also shine under the new gaffer.'
