Club Brugge departs today for its summer training camp in London. But before setting foot there, they’ll first play a friendly match in and against Rangers FC. Find out everything you need to know about the match below!
The match
On Sunday, July 6, Club Brugge heads to the iconic Ibrox Stadium for a friendly match against Rangers FC. Kickoff is at 3.00 PM Belgian time (2.00 PM local time). It is the first time since 2013 that the Blue and Black will be playing a friendly match on British soil. Back then, Club stayed in Manchester and played against Barnsley and Manchester United.
The match against Rangers is the second test in preparation for the new season. Last weekend, Club won 2-0 at home against KV Kortrijk, thanks to two goals from Vince Osuji.
The opponent
Rangers FC is one of the two top clubs from Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. Last season, Club Brugge faced Celtic in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, earning a deserved 1-1 draw in Glasgow.
Founded in 1872, Rangers is one of the oldest clubs in Scotland and holds the record for league titles with 55 championships. The club has also won 34 Cups and 28 League Cups. In Europe, they won the Europa Cup II in 1972. The "Old Firm" derby against Celtic, first played in 1888, has been contested more than 446 times. Worldwide, there are over 600 official Rangers fan clubs in 35 countries.
Sunday’s clash is not the first duel between Club Brugge and Rangers. In the first-ever Champions League season (1992-93), the two teams also faced each other in the group stage. In Bruges, Tomasz Dziubinski made it 1-0, but Pieter Huistra equalized. In Glasgow, Ian Durrant put Rangers ahead, Lorenzo Staelens equalized, but Scott Nisbet ultimately secured a 2-1 victory for the Scots.
Former Club Brugge coach Philippe Clement was in charge of Rangers until February 2024. For the new season, Russell Martin has been appointed. The 39-year-old Scot previously coached MK Dons, Swansea, and Southampton.
Last season, Cyriel Dessers was Rangers’ top scorer with 29 goals in 55 matches. James Tavernier provided the most assists (13). Belgian international Nicolas Raskin was named Player of the Year.
This summer, Vaclav Cerny (VfL Wolfsburg), Ianis Hagi (end of contract), Rafael Fernandes (LOSC Lille), and Neraysho Kasanwirjo (Feyenoord) left the club. New arrivals include Emmanuel Fernandez (Peterborough), Max Aarons (on loan from Bournemouth), and Ben Davies (returning from Birmingham) in defense. In midfield, Joe Rothwell (Bournemouth), Lyall Cameron (Dundee FC), and Kieran Dowell (returning from Birmingham) were added. Up front, Óscar Cortés (permanent move from RC Lens) and Rabbi Matondo (returning from Hannover) joined the squad.
Last season, Rangers finished second in Scotland and must play in the Champions League qualifiers, one round earlier than Club Brugge. At the end of July, they will face Panathinaikos as their first opponent. If both FCB and the Rangers reach the final qualifying round, there's a 50% chance they could face each other again.