Rangers Miss Out in European Football Following Defeat

Rangers European adventure come to a crashing end after defeat in Czech Republic. Overall, another big shock in terms of results on the European stage, as Derek McInnes’ side failed to make any form of European football this campaign following a 4-3 defeat on penalties. Rangers began their European adventure in Poland but dropped into the Conference League play-offs after a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Jagiellonia, which saw Rangers drawn against Jablonec in the Conference League. Despite a 1-0 win at Ibrox in the first leg, Rangers went 1-0 down late into the second leg, forcing extra time, which would prove costly ahead of the long trip down the A92 to the Granite City on Sunday for the visit to Pittodrie. Unfortunately for Rangers, they were unable to draw level in extra time, meaning a penalty shoot-out awaited the Gers. Following the penalty shoot-out, Rangers were unable to come away as winners, as the Czech side confirmed their place in this season’s UEFA Conference League. It was a tie in which you’d have favoured the Ibrox side to get through, but a lack of quality in the final third really cost the Glasgow side, as Rangers failed to reach the European league phase. All eyes now turn to Sunday’s trip to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen, with full concentration switching to the league and Scottish League Cup. A very disappointing week for Scottish sides as Celtic somehow, dropped to Europa League after throwing away a 4-0 lead, Motherwell dropping out after defeat to Freiburg which it’s fair to say, it was expected after a brilliant European campaign by the Steelmen although Hearts did progress into the Conference League, League phase and of course, Hibernian are still to play, welcoming Gent to Easter Road.

Dundee United Offer six-figure Bid to Bring Brad Spencer to Tannadice

Dundee United are keen to bring in Brad Spencer from Falkirk with Goodwin being a big admirer. Jim Goodwin’s side have placed down a six-figure bid in order to bring star man Brad Spencer to the City of Discovery. United have placed two bids in the past, with the Bairns rejecting both, as United are hoping for third time lucky in taking Spencer to Dundee. Brad Spencer has been a key player in the middle of the park for Falkirk, helping his side climb all the way from League One and guiding them into a top-six finish last campaign at the first time of asking. Tannadice have already signed Dylan Tait this summer, who was also a very crucial player at the heart of the Falkirk midfield, and losing Brad Spencer too could add an additional blow, but it will strengthen Jim Goodwin’s side. John McGlynn is eager to keep Spencer at the Falkirk Stadium, and Jim Goodwin is desperate to get the deal wrapped up as soon as possible. With Julius Eskesen recently departing to join Finnish side KuPS on loan, this has opened up some extra money and wages, which will help bring in the Falkirk man, should the Bairns agree a deal. The 30-year-old has only ever played north of the border in Scotland, starting off with Dumbarton before making a move to Forfar. Brad would then go on to join Raith Rovers, making over 150 appearances for the Kirkcaldy outfit, before joining Falkirk in League One and being a key player in their progression over the years into the top flight.  

Match Preview: Aberdeen vs Rangers

Aberdeen welcome Rangers to Pittodrie on Sunday, as Derek McInnes returns to his former home. It’s always an exciting clash when these two sides meet, and we may be in store for a classic in the Granite City. Last campaign was a very disappointing one for Aberdeen, as they ended the season ninth in the league, as well as suffering some horror results on the European stage. For Rangers, meanwhile, they ended up third, with Hearts grabbing second on a dramatic final day in Glasgow. Overall, it was a very poor season for the Ibrox side, which saw Russell Martin sacked after a horror spell in Govan, with Danny Röhl taking over — he has since left for RB Salzburg — before former Hearts boss Derek McInnes took charge in the dugout. Aberdeen have had an alright start to the season, winning five from five in the League Cup group stages, as you’d really expect, and beginning the campaign with a 2-1 win over Hearts, with two late goals sealing Hearts’ fate. Aberdeen then put up a horrible display with a 2-0 defeat at Dens to Dundee, but came out for revenge, winning 3-0 over Steven Pressley’s men in the League Cup. Rangers, meanwhile, began their season with a 1-1 draw away at Tannadice, one the hosts could easily have won. They then went on to be knocked out of the Europa League by Jagiellonia, in the same week that also included a 2-1 home defeat to Hibs. They have won their last two, however, battering St Mirren 5-1 in the League Cup, as well as a slim 1-0 win over Jablonec in the Conference League, with the tie to be decided tomorrow evening. The last meeting between the sides was back in March at Ibrox, with Danny Röhl’s men overcoming the Dons 4-1 at the time, while the last Pittodrie clash ended in a 2-0 defeat for Aberdeen, with Aasgaard and James Tavernier both getting goals. Aberdeen have just one win in their last seven meetings with the Ibrox side, which came back in October 2024, when Shayden Morris scored the winning goal during Aberdeen’s impressive run in the 2024/25 season. Aberdeen, as it stands, sit one place above Rangers, with two points separating the two sides. Aberdeen have been on fire in front of goal, scoring 12 in their last five, and new signing Marius Müller ranks third for the most saves in the league. Rangers have netted 9 goals in their last five, with Emmanuel Fernández leading in terms of chances created. Sunday’s meeting will be the 150th time these two sides have faced off at Pittodrie, with 43 wins for the Dons, 53 draws, and 54 wins for the Ibrox outfit. It’ll certainly be a game to keep an eye on, and as we all know, these sides are far from friends. Adding to the rivalry, Rangers have four former Dons in their ranks, with Connor Barron, Ross McCrorie, Lawrence Shankland, and Bojan Miovski all now at Rangers — and, not to forget, Rangers boss Derek McInnes also used to manage the Dons.

Top 10 Most Disappointing Results for Scottish Sides in Europe

After Celtic were surprisingly knocked out, here is a look at the top 10 worst defeats in Europe for Scottish clubs. LASK 5-1 Celtic (2026) The most recent one came just last night, where Celtic, who won 3-0 last week and went 1-0 up in Austria, somehow ended up losing, with LASK forcing extra time and the Austrian side delivering the final blow in the extra period. A very underwhelming performance by Celtic as they dropped into the UEFA Europa League league phase. Progres Niederkorn 2-0 Rangers (2017) One of the biggest shocks came in Luxembourg in 2017, as Rangers and Pedro Caixinha were defeated 2-0 in what some would say was a total embarrassment. Rangers originally won the first leg at Ibrox but couldn’t see off Progres in the second leg. Progres finished fourth in the league the year before, which is a side you would fully expect Rangers to get past. Aberdeen 1-5 Sigma Olomouc (2009) A game which saw Mark McGhee take charge for the first time, but his debut in the dugout was nothing but a disaster. On home soil, you’d expect Aberdeen to at least get a draw, but Aberdeen were miles off it. It went down as the Dons’ worst European defeat, which saw the Dons go on and lose 3-0 in the second leg. Kilmarnock 0-2 Connah Quay Nomads (2019) Killie got the first leg started how they would’ve hoped, with a 2-1 win in Wales to bring back to Ayrshire, but to Killie’s surprise, the Welsh side stunned Killie 2-0 at Rugby Park to dump the Scottish side out. The part-timers were the only side looking likely to win, as Killie simply lacked a cutting edge as Connah Quay Nomads progressed. Kairat Almaty 0-0 Celtic – Kairat Almaty win on penalties (2025) Celtic were stunned both home and away, unable to break down Kairat on home soil, ending in a goalless draw. The second leg was almost identical, finishing 0-0 once again, with neither side able to find the decisive goal in extra time. Penalties were needed to decide the winner, and it was Kairat who progressed as Celtic slumped to a shock defeat. Lincoln Red Imps 1-0 Celtic (2016) Brendan Rodgers’ start with the Glasgow side began in horrible fashion, losing 1-0 to part-timers Lincoln Red Imps. The astroturf pitch seemed to be a big issue for Celtic, with Lee Casciaro, who worked as a Ministry of Defence police officer, scoring the only goal. Celtic did make up for the first-leg defeat with a 3-0 home win to continue on. Hibernian 0-7 Malmö (2013) Hibs were stunned in the capital after conceding a whole seven goals at Easter Road in their Europa League qualifier. Malmö defeated Hibs 2-0 in the first leg, with it all to do for Hibs, but things got a whole lot worse. The Hibees went into the break four goals down, and another three second-half goals ended their dreams. AZ Alkmaar 7-0 Dundee United (2022) After a 1-0 first-leg victory at Tannadice, you’d fully expect United to show the exact same in Alkmaar, but it was a totally different game. Glenn Middleton gave United the lead in the first leg, but their defending proved to be costly, with AZ Alkmaar netting seven. Ross’s side were down 5-0 at the break, with a further two being scored, which saw United continue to string together poor results. That was soon followed by a 9-0 home defeat to Celtic, which saw Jack Ross get the sack. Malisheva 2-0 Hibernian (2026) Malisheva, a side from Kosovo, stunned David Gray’s men in a tie Hibs should be easing through. The hosts went ahead after 21 minutes, but an extra blow was handed out as a second was netted on the 90-minute mark. It left an uphill battle in the second leg, although Hibs did come out on top, which saw the Hibees move on. Sligo Rovers 2-0 Motherwell (2022) Motherwell were stunned on home turf as the Irish side ran away winners. You would’ve fully expected a big turnaround by the Steelmen, but a defeat in Ireland sealed their fate in the UEFA Conference League. Motherwell certainly lacked bundles of creativity and end product across the two legs, and the feelings from the large away support were soon shown as an embarrassing night unfolded.

World Cup winner linked with a move to Chelsea 

Emi Martinez has been linked with a move to Chelsea.  33-year-old shot-stopper Emi Martinez has been offered to Chelsea by representatives. This comes after new signing Zion Suzuki was made Aston Villa’s number one. This news also comes following Chelsea’s 3-2 win away at Fulham, where Robert Sanchez, who started in goal, made two high profile errors, which has put Chelsea in the market for a goalie. As per David Ornstein, the Argentina World Cup winner is open to swapping Birmingham for West London. The experienced keeper has made 257 appearances for Aston Villa since joining from Arsenal in 2020, with the highlight being that Europa League Final win over Freiburg in May. When Martinez was linked with a move to Juventus, Villa were looking for around €10M. The Villains are also exploring a move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, which could work in Chelsea’s favour in their pursuit of bringing in Martinez.

Could Alverez be on the verge of an Atletico exit?

Tensions are rising in the Spanish capital as Julian Alverez looks to be set for a big departure from Atletico Madrid. The transfer chaos is causing unrest in the dressing room at the Madrid side, as fans — and even their own manager — seem to be turning, say Spanish reporters, although publicly, Simeone and his teammates seem to be fully backing Álvarez. The Argentinian received unwanted boos from his own support as he was taken off in their 2-2 draw with Villarreal. As the full-time whistle blew, his teammates went over towards their support to applaud them, but Álvarez took a different route, heading straight to the dressing room while abuse was directed at him. You could tell from the look on Álvarez’s face, as well as during training, that he had zero interest in remaining at Atlético, and it shows the issue Simeone has on his hands, as Álvarez has clearly made it known that he wants to leave the club ahead of deadline day, with Barcelona being his preferred destination despite strong interest from Arsenal. Simeone is eager to keep hold of Álvarez, but it’s very clear that Álvarez wants out of the club as soon as possible. It is said that Arsenal officials travelled to Madrid on Friday to discuss a potential deal for Álvarez, with Arteta claiming Álvarez would be a dream signing. The move to Arsenal looks likely with journalist Fabrizio Romano saying: “The Arsenal is involved in the operation. It would be ready to make the attempt, and it’s just waiting for the green light from Julian Alvarez.”  

St Johnstone Complete signing of Enes Alic

The Bosnian left-back agrees a two-year deal with the Perth outfit after leaving Zeljeznicar. St Johnstone have signed 26-year-old left-back Enes Alic on a two-year deal, after being released by Željezničar, having had multiple spells in Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. Alic began his career in Bosnia at FK Mladost Doboj Kakanj, making 28 appearances and grabbing four goals, ahead of a move to Domžale in Slovenia, where he made 54 appearances across two campaigns, earning a move to Hungarian side Kisvárda. The Bosnian would go on to make 25 appearances in Hungary, before joining Croatian outfit NK Varaždin, making 20 appearances. Alic would then join Željezničar, making 39 appearances and netting on six occasions, before being released and making the move to Scotland. Alic will be competing for the starting spot with Matty Foulds, who became a reliable team player in the Championship last campaign, making 30 appearances for St Johnstone after joining from Harrogate Town. Enes Alic speaks on his move to Scotland: “I am very happy to be here. St Johnstone is a great club with great traditions and supporters. I can’t wait to play my first game. I have heard a lot about the Scottish Premiership. There is a lot of passion and high intensity in this league. It is a hard league, but I want to test myself. I am ready to go. The fans can expect speed, shooting and crossing, I like to attack the space. I like to defend first and foremost but I do enjoy getting forward too. I can promise I will give 200 per cent for this club every game and every training session. I look forward to meeting the fans and playing in front of them here at McDiarmid Park.”

Dundee Agree Deal for AFC Bournemouth Youngster

Matai Akinmboni is set to agree a loan-deal with Dundee from Premier League side, Bournemouth. Dundee and Bournemouth have agreed a season-long deal for the 19-year-old, which is subject to the Bournemouth man getting a GBE and a work permit. Akinmobi has been in training with the Dens Park side for the past two weeks, has overcome his injury worries, and has been impressing in training under Steven Pressley. The Premier League side still have full faith in the American Under-20 international after signing him from the MLS, having joined from DC United and agreed a long-term deal with the English side. After their derby victory at Tannadice on Saturday, Pressley admitted that he would be keen on bringing in two more players, as well as a winger. Matai made 17 first-team appearances in the USA, as well as having a spell with Loudoun United FC, having come through the youth ranks at DC United since Under-15 level. Dundee have also very recently snapped up Bradley Fink and Bobby Wales on loan, both of whom made their debuts in their derby victory over next-door neighbours Dundee United.

Falkirk announce signing number 15 of the season

Falkirk have completed the loan signing of Conor McLeon from English Championship side, Wolves. Falkirk have had a busy window as they continue to bring in new faces, following the loss of so many key players such as Barney Stewart, Filip Lissah, Calvin Miller, and Dylan Tait. Their new man hasn’t made a single professional appearance, having spent his early days at Wolves academy, but has had an impressive pre-season, which has earned the 19-year-old a new one-year deal at Wolves and caught the eye of John McGlynn. McLeon scored a double in the opening game of the season for the U21s, netting a brace against Burnley. The midfielder was sent out to get some game time at a professional level under his belt, with the on-loan Wolves man set to possibly make his professional debut against last season’s champions, Celtic. John McGylnn spoke on the new signing: “Conor is a winger, and he’s one that Allan Fraser watched towards the end of last season and he caught his eye, so we’ve followed him since then. He’s been doing really well in pre-season with Wolves. He scored a couple of goals against Burnley, which is great from his point of view. He’s a skilful player that will take opposition players on in one vs one situations, and we feel he’s someone who will complement the team. He’s coming in to push for starts and to try to make a name for himself, like a lot of the players we’ve brought in in these positions have done. He’s one that we’ve been doing a good bit of work on. We’re delighted to get him, we’re looking forward to working with him, and we welcome him to the football club.”

From Sweden to Fir Park: Fee agreed for Kanga

Motherwell seem to be closing in on Ives star, Jardell Kanga with the Sweden under-21 star set for Scotland move. The Steelmen have agreed a fee of around £350,000, which could rise to around £900,000, made up of potential add-ons. A long-term contract agreement is close to being reached after the 20-year-old bagged 12 goals as well as seven assists for the Finnish side this campaign, and he arrives fully fit due to the Finnish league season already being half-way done. Kanga has been a standout in Finland over the past year after joining from Swedish side Hammarby IF back in 2022, having come through the youth ranks in Germany, playing at under-19 level for Bayer Leverkusen before returning to Sweden. The Sweden Under-21 international will not be eligible to play in the second leg of Motherwell’s Conference League clash with last season’s Europa League finalists, Freiburg, but the Fir Park side will push to get him ready for their visit to Paisley this weekend. Motherwell have a good amount of cash to work with this summer, with the departures of Elliot Watt to Turkey, Elijah Just to Swansea, and Callum Ward to QPR, as well as Maswanhise being linked with a move away.