Latest news with #RuiVitoria
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
What we know about Panathinaikos' manager & dangermen
Former Benfica, Spartak Moscow and Egypt manager Rui Vitoria will lead Panathinaikos into their Champions League qualifier with 55-year-old has won multiple league titles and cups in Portugal and took over the Athens side in October last year after their dismal start to the 2024-25 Portuguese coach led Panathinaikos to a second-placed finish the Greek top flight, but they finished 16 points off winners also guided the team to the last 16 of the Conference League where they were dumped out over two legs by Serie A club Fiorentina. Goalscoring proved an issue for Panathinaikos in the Greek Super League last term, netting 42 goals in 32 games, but Rangers will have to keep an eye on Brazilian winger deployed on the right of attack in a 4-3-3 shape, the former Leicester and Lyon forward, who signed for reported £6.2m from Galatasaray last summer, scored 11 tally was matched by striker Fotis Ioannidis, who has six goals in 17 Greece caps, and Serbia forward Filip winger Facundo Pellistri, a signing worth £5m from Manchester United last year, scored four and assisted the goals did not necessarily flow, Vitoria's side were good at sharing them out.
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Rangers handed tricky test in Champions League qualifier, while Hibs and Dundee United also learn their first European opponents
Russell Martin faces a stern early test as Rangers manager after his side were paired with Greek giants Panathinaikos in the Champions League second qualifying round. Seeded for the draw, the Ibrox men could have faced Swiss side Servette or Norwegians Brann but instead drew the side with the highest European club ranking. Like Rangers, Panathinaikos finished second in their domestic league last season, ending up 12 points behind champions Olympiacos. The Athens side, who play at the Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium, have never lost to Scottish opponents over 90 minutes in their seven meetings to date. But Rangers still have good memories of their last tie with them in the UEFA Cup back in 2007-08 - progressing on away goals in the last 32 to take them a step closer to that year's final. Although Panathinaikos have won the Greek title on 20 occasions, the last of those came back in 2010. The following season was the last occasion when they made it to the Champions League group stage. Last season, they started in Europa League qualifying, beating Botev Plovdiv but losing to Ajax on penalties before qualifying for the Conference League by defeating Slavia Prague and Lens. They lost 4-1 at home to eventual winners Chelsea and eventually finished 13th in the group, before beating Vikingur Reykjavik in the knockout phase then losing to Fiorentina in the last 16. Managed by Portuguese Rui Vitoria, a former Benfica boss, their star man is veteran Serbian international forward Filip Duricic. As things stand, Martin's men will be at home first on 22/23 July with the second leg in Athens on 29/30 July. While the Scottish Premiership season doesn't begin until August 2, the Greek Super League doesn't get underway until August 23. The Champions League third round qualifying draw takes place on July 21 with just two hurdles remaining to make the 36-team group stage. If Rangers go out, they will jump into the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Rangers haven't been in the Champions League since the ill-fated campaign under Giovanni van Bronckhorst in 2022-23 when they lost all six games. Their hopes of getting back last year under Philippe Clement were ended by Dynamo Kyiv. The team dropped into the Europa League and made it as far as the last eight under Barry Ferguson only to be eliminated by Athletic Bilbao. Hibs were also handed a tough draw in their quest to make the group stage of the Europa League when they were paired with FC Midtjylland in the second qualifying round. The Danish side only finished second to FC Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga by a point last year having won it in 2024. Their last clash with a Scottish team came in 2021-22 when they beat Ange Postecoglou's Celtic on aggregate in a Champions League qualifier. Midtjylland lost out to Slovan Bratislava in last season's Champions League play-off round and dropped into the Europa League. Having finished 20th, they made it to the knockout round play-off where they lost to Real Sociedad. The first leg of the tie will be played on July 24 in Denmark, with the return leg the following week at Easter Road. Dundee United were handed a more favourable assignment when the draw was made for the second qualifying round of the Conference League. Jim Goodwin's side learned they will face Luxembourg minnows FC UNA Strassen with the first keg at Tannadice on July 24 and the return in the 1500-capacity Complexe Sportif Jean Wirtz a week later. UNA Strassen, who finished second in their division last year, have only ever played one European tie in their history - a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Finns KuPS last season. Celtic face a play-off round to reach the Champions League with Brendan Rodgers set to learn his side's fate on August 4.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers and Hibs discover European opponents
Panathinaikos were second in last season's Greek top flight [Getty Images] Rangers have been drawn against Panathinaikos in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The Scottish Premiership runners-up will be at home for the first leg on 22/23 July, with the return in Greece the following week. Advertisement The winners of the first-round tie between Northern Ireland champions Linfield and Republic of Ireland counterparts Shelbourne will face Qarabag of Azerbaijan. Should Welsh champions The New Saints win their tie against Shkendija of North Maceonia, they will face either FCSB of Romania or Inter Club d'Escaldes of Andorra. Meanwhile, Hibernian will face Danish side Midtjylland in the Europa League second qualifying round. Rangers drawn with highest-ranked Greeks Panathinaikos' visit will mark Russell Martin's first competitive game as Rangers head coach and the former Southampton boss has been handed the toughest of their possible draws despite the Ibrox side having been seeded. Advertisement All three potential opponents were, like Rangers, runners-up in their domestic leagues, but while the Greek side are 111th in the European club rankings, 86 places behind Rangers, Swiss side Servette are 139th (one behind Heart of Midlothian) and Norwegians Brann 189th. The side managed by former Egypt and Benfica head coach Rui Vitoria finished 16 points behind Olympiakos in the Greek Super League last season, having overtaken AEK Athens after the league split. Panathinaikos have never lost to Scottish opponents over 90 minutes in four meetings with Rangers, two with Motherwell and one with Aberdeen, winning four of their seven games. However, it was Rangers who progressed when they last met the Ibrox side. Advertisement Having beaten Aberdeen 3-0 at home in the 2007-08 Uefa Cup group stage, the Greeks exited on away goals after a 0-0 stalemate in Glasgow was followed by a 1-1 draw in Athens in the round of 32. They had beaten Rangers 3-1 at Ibrox, and drew 1-1 at home, in the Champions League group stage in 2003, while they eased aside Motherwell 5-0 on aggregate in their latest meeting with a Scottish side in 2012 - in the Champions League third qualifying round. Panathinaikos have not reached the Champions League proper since 2010-11 and last season started in Europa League qualifying, beating Botev Plovdiv but losing to Ajax before qualifying for the Conference League by defeating Lens. They lost 4-1 at home to eventual winners Chelsea and beat The New Saints 2-0 in Wales in the new league stage, finishing 13th, before beating Vikingur Reykjavik in the knockout phase and then losing to Fiorentina in the last 16. Advertisement Rangers lost their opening Champions League qualifier to Dynamo Kyiv last season under Philippe Clement but reached the Europa League quarter-finals, by which time interim head coach Barry Ferguson was in charge. Teams winning their second qualifying round ties face two more rounds to make the league stage. Hibs face Danish Superliga runners-up Hibs return to European football after a year's gap having reached the Conference League play-off round last time round, when they lost to Aston Villa. Having finished third in the Premiership, David Gray's side start this season's campaign in the Europa League and will visit Midtjylland on 24 July, with the Danes heading to Leith for the second leg a week later. Advertisement Unseeded in Wednesday's draw, Hibs avoided Belgium's Anderlecht and the winners of ties between Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk against Finland's Ilves Tampere and Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol against Prishtina of Kosovo. Thomas Thomasberg's Midtjylland were second in the Danish Superliga last season and finished 20th in the Europa League league phase before losing to Real Sociedad in the knock-out stage play-offs. The Danes have twice previously played Scottish sides, losing to Rangers in Europa League qualifying in 2019 but knocking Celtic out of the Champions League qualifiers two years later.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Panathinaikos profiled as Rangers face Champions League rivals with £30m-rated danger man and proud Scots record
Russell Martin's first competitive match as Light Blues boss will be against the Greek giants Rangers have never beaten Panathinaikos – yet their very name conjures up happy memories for Ibrox legions. That's because Walter Smith 's men progressed against the Greek giants during an unforgettable run to the UEFA Cup final in Manchester in 2008. Nacho Novo struck a late leveller after falling behind in Athens and, thanks to a goalless draw at Ibrox, progressed on away goals. Now Russell Martin will be looking for more of the same after being paired with the Greek Super League side in the second round of Champions League qualifying. Alex McLeish's men also faced the Greeks in the group stage of the competition 22 years ago. Brazilian Emerson gave them the lead but they were pegged back late on before a defeat in the Ibrox return. Here, Record Sport gets the lowdown from Alexandros Xenikakis, sports presenter with Greek TV station ANT1, as he answers some key questions How did Panathinaikos get on last season? They started the season really awful. Even though they managed to qualify for the main draw of the Conference League, the Shamrock had a really tough time domestically. That led them to change manager. Diego Alonso left, Rui Vitoria came. But with the Portuguese boss in charge, Panathinaikos's luck changed and they embarked on a 16-game unbeaten run. However, since the turn of the year, it's been another spell of ups and downs. But an important win away against AEK Athens in the final weeks of the season ensured they finished second behind Olympiacos to claim a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Not a great campaign but then not bad given how the season started. Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of? Panathinaikos's player of the year last term was Azzentin Ounahi but he has returned to Marseille after a year-long loan. That leaves Fotis Ioannidis as the man Rangers would have to be fearful of. He did not have the best of campaign's last year but the club captain has the quality to make the difference for Panathinaikos. Last summer, the club rejected bid close to 30million euros from Ipswich. There is still a possibility that he may get transferred during the summer window. Serbian international Filip Duricic attacking midfielder was their top league scorer and has played in England, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands before arriving in Greece. Tell us about the coach and his style of play? Portuguese gaffer Rui Vitoria is a former Benfica boss. His arrival last year proved to be the turning point that saved the season for Panathinaikos. When he arrived in Athens, the Greens were stirring eighth and going nowhere. But with Vitoria's leadership, they made an impressive comeback to finish runners up. As for his style, he does not have one specific philosophy. We have seen his Panathinaikos team playing a controlled and high-quality football, but also a times relying on a strong defence, with many players behind the ball. He is a good manager but he isn't focused on creating a stable team with one specific identity. Will Panathinaikos fancy their chances of beating Rangers? Panathinaikos have recorded some big results in Europe lately, knocking out Marseille and Lens. They also ran Ajax close in Amsterdam before being squeezed out on penalties. The club's approach to European competition means they respect all opponents but do not fear any team. Based on that I believed they will be confident of qualifying, but with the understanding that Rangers is a really good team who have also had some great results in Europe during the last few years. PREVIOUS MEETINGS: Rangers last faced the Greek side in 2008 when they met in the UEFA Cup, with the Light Blues winning on away goals. And they also played against each other in the Champions League group stage in 2003 with a draw in Athens and defeat for Rangers at Ibrox. INTERESTING FACT: Panathinaikos have played against Scottish clubs seven times - Rangers four times, Aberdeen once and Motherwell have never lost.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Every possible Rangers Champions League opponent dissected as insiders give us the lowdown on draw rivals
Insiders from Greece, Switzerland and Norway give us the lowdown on every team Rangers could play in qualifying Russell Martin will discover which team will provide his opening test as Rangers boss when the draw is made for the Ibrox side's opening Champions League qualifier on Wednesday. New Gers gaffer Martin meets his new squad for the first time on Monday but won't have long to get them whipped into shape before they kick-off their Euro bid on July 22/23. As seeds, the Light Blues will be expected to progress through to the third round of eliminators but they will face a tricky first tie with either Greeks Panathinaikos, Swiss Super League outfit Servette or SK Brann of Norway lying in wait. Panathinaikos How did Panathinaikos get on last season? They started the season really awful. Even though the managed to qualify for the main draw of the Conference League, the Shamrock had a really tough time domestically. That led them to change manager. Diego Alonso left, Rui Vitoria came. But with the Portuguese boss in charge, Panathinaikos's luck changed and they embarked on a 16-game unbeaten run. However, since the turn of the year, it's been another spell of ups and downs. But an important win away against AEK Athens in the final weeks of the season ensured they finished second behind Olympiacos to claim a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Not a great campaign but then not bad given how the season started. Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of? Panathinaikos's player of the year last term was Azzentin Ounahi but he has returned to Marseille after a year-long loan. That leaves Fotis Ioannidis as the man Rangers would have to be fearful of. He did not have the best of campaign's last year but the club captain has the quality to make the difference for Panathinaikos. Last summer, the club rejected bid close to 30million euros from Ipswich. There is still a possibility that he may get transferred during the summer window. Tell us about the coach and his style of play? Portuguese gaffer Rui Vitoria is a former Benfica boss. His arrival last year proved to be the turning point that saved the season for Panathinaikos. When he arrived in Athens, the Greens were stirring eighth and going nowhere. But with Vitoria's leadership, they made an impressive comeback to finish runners up. As for his style, he does not have one specific philosophy. We have seen his Panathinaikos team playing a controlled and high-quality football, but also a times relying on a strong defence, with many players behind the ball. He is a good manager but he isn't focused on creating a stable team with one specific identity. Will Panathinaikos fancy their chances of beating Rangers? Panathinaikos have recorded some big results in Europe lately, knocking out Marseille and Lens. They also ran Ajax close in Amsterdam before being squeezed out on penalties. The club's approach to European competition means they respect all opponents but do not fear any team. Based on that I believed they will be confident of qualifying, but with the understanding that Rangers is a really good team who have also had some great results in Europe during the last few years. Servette Daniel Visentini, football writer for the Tribune de Genève How did Servette get on last season? The club did well, finishing in second place in the Swiss Super League. They were twice leaders in fact after hitting the table summit both in October and in March. But they lacked the consistency to stay there, mostly due to a small squad and injuries to key men like Steve Rouiller, Alexis Antunes and Julian von Moos. They eventually finished 10 points behind champions Basel. Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of? Bosnian international Miroslav Stevanovic is the main threat in the Serviette line-up with his capacity to be strong on the right wing. Antunes is a creative player who operates in the No10 slot. But don't forget about Timothe Cognat, the guy who provides the rhythm in the middle of the pitch. Tell us about the coach and his style of play? Thomas Haberli, a Young Boys legend, joined as coach last summer to replace René Weiler, who was the boss when Serviette last played Rangers in 2023. He had no real experience working at that level but he did a decent job leading the side to second place. But of course he has his critics who claim he was too conservative with his choices when the chance was on to win the title. Will Servette fancy their chances of beating Rangers? Of course Servette will think there is a way to win if they end up drawing Rangers again. The Ibrox side will be the favourites to progress but Servette can take confidence from the fact they were not so far away from getting a result when the teams met two years ago. Brann How are Brann getting on this season? The team is is currently sitting second in the Norwegian league, which is already a third of the way through the season. The team has done well this year, but should have more points. In some games, the team has completely dominated but unfortunately conceded easy goals – or failed to capitalise on their total control. Brann has had three good seasons in a row. A healthy and positive culture has been established in the club after a shameful 2021 season ended with relegation and allegations of a sex scandal (Google it, it was quite the story and led to three players being fired). The style that has been established since is fun to watch: aggressive and attacking football, high pressure, entertaining games with lots of goals – both ways. This has also led to many more spectators finding their way to the home matches. Brann has almost sold out its home stadium for every match with 16,000 spectators. Who is the danger man Rangers will have to take care of? Brann has a good central line in the team, but midfielders Felix Horn Myhre and Emil Kornvig are the two key men Rangers should keep an eye on. Both are creative and hard-working and absolutely essential to the way Brann plays football. Brann also has some young talents who are predicted to have a promising future in Eivind Helland and Rasmus Holten, both defenders. Niklas Castro is an offensive player who has been very, very important in Brann's play in recent years. He scores on all penalties, pretty much, has a very accurate foot, and is creative and hard-working. Unfortunately for Brann, and fortunately for Rangers, Castro is now facing surgery due to a foot injury. He is therefore out indefinitely – it has been said 'several months' and it is doubtful whether he will be fit for the Rangers game. Who is the coach and what is his style? Brann hired a new Icelandic coach this winter after the previous coach decided to leave to try his hand at coaching in the French top league with Saint-Etienne. It didn't go so well and he was recently relegated with the French team. Freyr Alexandersson is from Iceland, has coached clubs in Denmark and Belgium before, and has taken Bergen and Brann by storm. He has a great attitude, friendly, is offensive in his style and is a very open coach who talks to the media all the time. Freyr is very open about Brann's ambitions in Europe this year. In the last two seasons, the club has failed to qualify for the Conference League group stage in the final playoff round. This year, the club aims to reach one of the three group stages. The club is expected to strengthen its squad before the match against Rangers (or whoever it may be). Icelandic player Sævar Atlí Magnusson has already been signed and will be available from July when the Norwegian transfer window opens. Will Brann fancy their chances of beating Rangers? This is a difficult question. Experts interviewed by local newspapers in Bergen consider Rangers to be the weakest of the three opponents Brann could face. It would be huge for Brann and Bergen to be allowed to face Rangers, such a big and traditional club in a beautiful country. Norway and Scotland have a lot in common. And especially the west coast of Norway, where Bergen is by far the most important city, has long historical and cultural ties. The geography is the same, costal cold weather with rain and winds, people pretty much the same. For my part, I hope Brann draws Rangers. Not because I think it will be easier for Brann to advance. But because Glasgow is a great city with fun people, and an easy accessible trip for the many Brann supporters who are guaranteed to make the trip to the away game. I was there last year for the match against St Mirren. Amazing atmosphere and stadium. And it's always very special to go to football matches in Scotland.
