Rangers manager Derek McInnes has taken full responsibility for what he branded an embarrassing and mortified European exit after the Scottish giants were knocked out of the UEFA Conference League play-offs by Czech outfit Jablonec. Carrying a 1-0 lead into the second leg at Stadion Strelnice, Rangers collapsed to a 4-3 defeat on penalties, ending their European campaign altogether before reaching the group stages. The agonizing loss severely compounds a dismal start to McInnes’ tenure at Ibrox, marking one of the darkest European nights in the club’s recent history.
Facing the media following the shoot-out heartbreak, the 54-year-old manager offered no excuses for his side’s lackluster display. McInnes stated that the only people who represented the club well were the support staff and the travelling fans who backed the team throughout. He conceded that the performance on the pitch was miles short of expectations, emphasizing that the squad should have possessed enough quality to get past Jablonec. Admitting he felt mortified by what unfolded, McInnes made it clear that the ultimate blame rests on his shoulders to ensure the team improves drastically.
The exit against Jablonec represents the second European blow for Rangers in quick succession this season. McInnes’ side had already been relegated to the Conference League play-offs after failing to overcome Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League qualifiers. Stripped of the lucrative windfalls associated with European group-stage football, Rangers now face immediate financial constraints in the transfer market. Club officials have already been forced to attempt renegotiating terms on potential targets, with the lack of European revenue crippling their summer rebuild despite significant expenditure and player turnover in recent months.
The crisis in Europe aligns with a troubled start on the domestic front, where Rangers have failed to win either of their opening two Scottish Premiership matches, recording a draw and a defeat. McInnes, who arrived at Ibrox on a three-year contract after leading Hearts to a second-place finish last term following Danny Röhl’s exit to RB Salzburg, is already under immense pressure from the support. To worsen matters, the Scottish FA handed McInnes a four-match touchline ban—with one match suspended until the end of the 2026-27 season—for past comments directed at a controversial Celtic penalty decision, leaving him severely constrained on the sidelines.
With millions spent on fresh recruitment and a rapid squad overhaul during the off-season, patience among the Ibrox faithful is wearing thin. Supporters have questioned tactical setups and game management as the team struggles to find any cohesive identity on the pitch. As Rangers pivot back exclusively to domestic duties, McInnes faces the monumental task of rebuilding confidence in a squad that has quickly fallen far behind expectations both at home and abroad.
