Barry Ferguson praised his Rangers gamers for exhibiting the character that has been questioned this season after they edged previous Fenerbahce following an epic Europa League conflict.
Rangers suffered a fourth consecutive defeat at Ibrox however arrange a quarter-final in opposition to Athletic Bilbao after Jack Butland saved two penalties in a 3-2 shoot-out triumph.
Objectives in every half of the 90 minutes from Sebastian Szymanski had worn out Rangers’ 3-1 first-leg lead after Ferguson’s males missed probabilities to place the tie past the Turkish facet.
There have been close to misses at both finish earlier than and through extra-time and Rangers saved their season alive within the shoot-out.
Interim head coach Ferguson mentioned: “I really thought we performed effectively. The 2 objectives we may have executed higher however the one factor I’ve to say, and it has been levelled in opposition to the gamers, they confirmed character.
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Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd reacts to Fenerbahce’s missed penalty that sees Scottish giants Rangers progress to the Europa League quarter-finals.
“It is easy to really feel sorry for your self however they saved going. And clearly you get into the penalty scenario and I believed we dealt with that very effectively.
“The primary goal was to verify I bought this membership into the final eight and that is one thing we now have executed.
“Don’t underestimate what happened there. We came up against a top team. I knew after last Thursday that this was in no way a done deal.
“I have been to all of the video games this season and that was one thing once I was watching Rangers, high-quality once they go forward, however when one thing goes in opposition to them, they sort of went into their shell a bit.
Rangers’ Jack Butland celebrates after his penalty saves
“[Tonight] They kept driving on and we showed a bit of mettle. They kept running themselves into the ground.
“I mentioned to them, perhaps some individuals will now begin to assume these guys have gotten one thing about them. And that was certainly one of my goals once I got here in to take the job.”
Ferguson has had four games in charge since succeeding Philippe Clement, winning against Motherwell in the first fixture and now progressing in Europe.
“Lots of people mentioned I wasn’t certified or the precise man for the job,” he added. “I am making an attempt to do the perfect I can for 3 months and provides every thing.
“Players are digging deep for me – tonight’s performance and way they carried themselves. Delighted for players, board and fans.”
Ferguson celebrates with Rangers’ goalkeeping coach Allan McGregor
Mourinho slams ‘unusual’ choices
Fenerbahce supervisor Jose Mourinho claimed it was unusual that his facet weren’t awarded not less than one penalty.
The guests complained when Talisca was booked for diving after showing to be caught by Jefte on the sting of the field and Mourinho was booked after robust appeals for a penalty-box foul in opposition to Nico Raskin.
The guests then appealed for a foul in opposition to James Tavernier, however the skipper had bought the ball with a sliding sort out.
Mourinho mentioned: “We performed a unbelievable match. Just one crew performed, just one crew scored, just one crew deserved to attain extra, just one crew deserved to win.
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Fenerbahce supervisor Jose Mourinho displays on his sides Europa League spherical of 16 defeat to Rangers after the Turkish giants misplaced on penalties, with Mourinho stating that the perfect facet misplaced.
“Only one team had three penalties that if you don’t get three, you get two. If you don’t get two, you get one. If you don’t get one out of three, everything is strange.
“But it surely’s additionally unusual the way in which we had been knocked out of the Champions League with a VAR penalty on minute 120.”
Mourinho went on to reference previous controversy, as he brought up his Roma side’s 2023 Europa League final defeat by Sevilla, after which he received a four-match UEFA ban for his criticism of English referee Anthony Taylor.
Mourinho said: “The one factor that’s nonetheless at the back of my thoughts is that if every thing that occurred to my crew this season in Europe, if it has one thing to do with the Budapest remaining.
“I want to think it has nothing to do with it, it’s just bad luck, and nothing has to do with that. I want to think that way.”
