Rangers fans have been warned they are on the brink of being locked out of European action after landing a one-game suspended ban from UEFA.
The Ibrox outfit were fined £17,291 and hit with the supporter suspension because of the ‘lighting of fireworks’ during the second leg of their Champions League qualifying play-off loss to Club Brugge in Belgium.
UEFA say that Rangers could be stopped ‘from selling tickets to its away supporters for the next…UEFA competition match’, but that this measure is ‘suspended during a probationary period of two years, starting from the date of the present decision’.
The Ibrox side will play in the league phase of the Europa League this season, starting this month with a home tie against Genk.
Rangers have been punished after their supporters lit fireworks in the play-off away to Brugge
Followers of the Govan outfit landed in hot water with UEFA last season and are one bout of misbehaviour away from seeing the Copland Stand closed down for a big-match night.
In March, Rangers said they were ‘in the process of issuing lifetime bans’ to those responsible for a banner – bearing the words ‘Keep Woke Foreign Ideologies Out – Defend Europe’ – flown in the home leg of the Europa League victory over Turks Fenerbahce that led to UEFA issuing a suspended closure of the Copland Stand.
The stand at Ibrox, which holds around 8,000 supporters, will be shut for one game if there is ‘a repeat of racist and/or discriminatory behaviour’ during European matches within the next 18 months.
The club were fined around £25,000 for the banner and landed further punishments of £5,000 for the blocking of passageways inside the stadium and £3755 for the throwing of objects.
