Rangers have as good a chance as any team at winning the Europa League, insists Mark Hateley.
The Ibrox hero believes his former side showcased exactly what they’re capable of on the continent with their heroic 3-2 win over Real Betis in December.
And he reckons it would be silly to write off Philippe Clement’s side as contenders for this season’s Europa League, especially given they reached the final under Giovanni van Bronckhorst just under two years ago.
“Rangers go straight through to the last 16 and they can’t draw an English side which will help,” Hateley told NewBettingSites.uk. “They have as good a chance as any team in that competition. The January transfer window could be key as to how far they go.
“Ten minutes before the end of the Real Betis game, Rangers were heading down to the Europa Conference League. It is a case of very small margins that can change the club’s fate. Now they’re straight into the last 16 of the Europa League. That gathers them a vast amount of money and more televised matches. However, in the space of ten minutes it could have gone the other way – that’s how fine the margins are.
“With the way they’re playing at the moment, who’s to say that they can’t go further in the competition? I feel confident in the team, as do the fans.”
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Hateley believes their performances against the likes of Real Betis will give fans confidence that they can go on to win the Premiership too.
Celtic currently boast an eight-point gap over their arch-Glasgow rivals, however, the Ibrox club does have two games in hand.
He said: “Rangers will be excited with where they are right now because it gives everybody great belief that they actually have the ability to win the Scottish Premiership.
“They’re in the last 16 of the Europa League and they were in the final not so long ago. Rangers fans always believe that they can achieve and they will always stick behind the team.”
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