Little Lux Club Dumps Rangers Outta Europa

Ironically, the Light Blues from Ibrox were done in by progress.

As in Progrès.

Of the Niederkorn persuasion. In bucolic little Luxembourg. Population: 3044, not counting livestock.

No word yet if this is a reserve team practice:

No matter. As it happened, the Progrès Niederkorn starting XI didn't need their help.

That's slightly surprising, as the squad's glory days were back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they actually scored a goal in Europa Cup play against Glentoran of Belfast.

This is who the allegedly mighty Rangers drew in the Europa League's first qualifying round.

 

Right.

This is the Rangers we're talking about.

• One of Glasgow's two giant clubs who draw damn near 50,000 fans a match.
• The crowds kept coming even though Rangers managed a way to fall into insolvency back in 2012.
• They were still drawing around 48,000 fans when their financial troubles busted them down to the Scottish fourth tier.

One woulda thought they'd had enough experience playing small clubs.

 

Apparently, though, they didn't take a hint when Progrès only fell, 1-0, in the first leg at Ibrox.

Their long-awaited return to European play had paired them with the equivalent of a terrier on a postman's butt.

Or something like that.

Needing two goals without conceding any to register the upset and advance to the next round, Progrès delivered:

 

It's the beauty of sport. Stuff happens. In Rangers' case, more than once.

Now, while Progrès is playing on house money -- already secure with memories that'll last a lifetime -- Rangers have a month to sort themselves out before their opening Scottish Premiership match against Motherwell.

Could be a long month.