ADRIAN Mutu didn't quite ape Lionel Messi's anti-football outburst but it is safe to say that Rangers are not on top of the Fiorentina striker's list of all-time favourite opponents.
Mutu, with 23 goals to his credit this season, was a peripheral figure at Ibrox on Thursday night. Reduced to a couple of thumps from long range, he was well fed-up long before the final whistle sounded. "For me, that was an ugly game," he said.
T
he Romanian was a little taken aback in the aftermath, the latest high-profile European striker to leave Ibrox in deep frustration. "We hope in Florence it's going to be different," he said. "We didn't expect Rangers to be like that, defending so much. We thought that, as the home team, they would try to attack but this is their football and we have to adapt. I've never seen a team play like that at home before to be honest. But that is their game, their tactic, and what they believe in. I thought maybe they would want to make more of a spectacle for the fans. They were defending all the time and I just hope we see a bit more attacking, some spectacular football in the second game."
Mutu said he struggled to come to terms with the Ibrox pitch which, to be fair, was a bit of a groundless moan. There wasn't a huge amount wrong with the surface. It was the tightly bunched blue jerseys on top of it that made the going heavy.
"We needed a goal, of course we did," added Mutu, "but we are still in the game. Rangers are too so the chances are 50-50. Nothing has changed. We tried to do our best, tried to score. We didn't succeed but let's see what happens in Florence. You can expect to see something different from us."
ABERDEEN are ready for a double transfer raid on Dunfermline – with Darren Young and Mark Burchill the targets. Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood is keen to snap up the East End Park duo as he looks to make big changes this summer.
The Pittodrie manager knows he will not have money to spend after their Scottish Cup defeat by Queen of the South, and he hopes to land the Pars pair on Bosman deals.
Young, 29, was Aberdeen captain before he quit for East End Park to join Calderwood in May 2003. His younger brother, Derek, is already back on the Pittodrie books.
Calderwood is also ready to bring in a new striker.
Burchill (pictured), 27, is his top target as Pars boss Jim McIntyre looks to cut his wage bill following their failure to win promotion.
Red tape ties up Hibs' Gray PROMISING Hibs striker Damon Gray has been left to curse red tape for denying him the chance to aid the club's bid for a UEFA Cup place.
The 19-year-old was farmed out to First Division Partick Thistle in late February, but his loan came to an end after yesterday's final league match with Morton.
Gray, who netted a famous Scottish Cup goal at Ibrox to take Rangers to a quarter-final replay, will now return to Mixu Paatelainen's European-chasers. But the ex-Newcastle United youth has been told his season is over because SPL transfer rules set a March 31 deadline for players returning to their home clubs.
Gray, who has played for Ian McCall's men throughout April, will now have to kick his heels in training as Hibs prepare for their crucial last three league fixtures.
The young Englishman said: "I don't think I can play again this season for Hibs. For me to play, I don't think it's legal and the manager will probably confirm that to me tomorrow. It is one of those rules that apply to the SPL and SFL so there is not much I can do about it.
"I've enjoyed my time at Partick, getting invaluable experience, and wanted to keep playing.
"It'll be frustrating watching the Hibs lads in the last three matches, but as I've known about it it's not coming as a surprise. I think the team can definitely get third place. It could come down to Motherwell's games in hand, but I think we have the experience to pinch it."
Spurs snare rising star ModricCROATIAN midfielder Luka Modric, one of the most promising young players in Europe, has agreed terms to join Tottenham Hotspur. The 22-year-old will join Spurs from Dynamo Zagreb in the post-season transfer window subject to passing a medical and obtaining a work permit.
"Personal terms have been agreed with the player and he will now undertake a medical and apply for a work permit," Tottenham said in a statement.
Modric (right) was quoted as saying: "I'm happy to be joining such a big club. It will be a real pleasure to play in the English league. It is the best in Europe, with three English clubs in the semi-finals of the Champions League."
The move is a major coup for Tottenham and their Spanish manager Juande Ramos, whose side will play in the UEFA Cup next season after winning the English League Cup in February.
Newcastle United were also keen to sign the player.
Modric started his career in Bosnia as a teenager before moving to Croatian club Inter Zapresic and then Dynamo in 2005.
He made his debut for Croatia in 2006 and played a significant role in Croatia's 3-2 win over England at Wembley in November, which cost England a place in the Euro 2008 tournament.
SPAINREAL Madrid can tighten their grasp on La Liga with a win against Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabeu tonight.
Real went ten points clear of second-placed Villarreal after last week's 2-0 win over Racing Santander and are now within touching distance of the title.
Villarreal play Real Betis earlier today in a game they must win if they are to have any hope of keeping their title chase alive.
Third-placed Barcelona will today be looking forward to the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Manchester United.
The Catalans gave one of their best performances of recent months in Wednesday's 0-0 home draw against United despite having previously won just one of their last eight league games.
Meanwhile, Valencia's humiliating 5-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao last week cost coach Ronald Koeman his job and with the team just two points above the relegation zone before yesterday's fixture against fellow strugglers Osasuna there was little room for error for new boss Salvador Gonzalez Voro.
And cash-strapped neighbours Levante were last week hit by a strike threat by players unless paid money they are owed by the club.
GERMANYBAYERN Munich can make amends for a rare league defeat when they host VfB Stuttgart today.
Bayern, who led the Bundesliga by ten points from Werder Bremen going into the weekend, suffered one of only two league defeats this season at the hands of Stuttgart in October.
"We want to wrap up the Bundesliga championship within the next few weeks," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said after winning the German Cup last Saturday – the first of three titles he's chasing.
Hitzfeld's men drew 1-1 with Zenit St Petersburg in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final on Thursday.
ITALYINTER Milan will retain their Serie A title today if they beat Cagliari and second-placed AS Roma lose at home to Torino.
Third-placed Juventus are five behind Roma and have their eyes on snatching second spot and an automatic Champions League berth. A draw at home to mid-table Lazio will be enough.
Rangers' UEFA Cup semi-final opponents Fiorentina, without banned striker Giampaolo Pazzini, will try to consolidate their hold on fourth place and Italy's final Champions League qualifying slot by beating sixth-placed Sampdoria at home.
FRANCE NANCY and Marseille will resume their duel for a place in the Champions League third qualifying round today. The teams, third on 56 points and fourth on 55 respectively, are both away today at Monaco and Valenciennes, two sides with nothing much to win or lose.
Leaders Olympique Lyon, who went into the weekend's fixtures with 71 points, and second-placed Girondins Bordeaux, who had 67, occupy the two automatic Champions League berths.
At the other end of Ligue 1, Paris St Germain are continuing their battle against the threat of relegation for the first time since they were promoted to the first division in 1974, four years after they were founded.
With bottom team Metz already relegated, ahead of yesterday's fixtures PSG lay 18th in the standings, ahead of Racing Strasbourg on goal difference and three points adrift of Racing Lens, the first club above the drop zone, and Toulouse.
PSG's chairman, Alain Cayzac, who resigned on Monday, accused the team's players of being "gripped by fear". The behaviour of hard core supporters is also a concern. They painted graffiti claiming "If we go down, we'll shoot you down" and "PSG in Ligue 2 – Riots" on the walls of the team's training base after last weekend's 3-0 defeat at Caen.
Thrifty Dons keen to sign Pars starsDOING THE ROUNDS FORMER Rangers star Rino Gattuso is set to snub a dream return to Ibrox – and remain with AC Milan.
The fiery midfielder had previously said he wanted to end his career back in Scotland.
Gattuso has been linked with a summer exit from the San Siro with Manchester United and Bayern Munich both keen.
But his agent Claudio Pasqualin has revealed the midfielder could yet stay at the Italian giants.
Pasqualin said: "Rino is a Rossonero through and through like few others. We will meet with the club soon, but I believe it is Gennaro's true intention to remain at Milan."
OLD FIRM target Kyle Lafferty will not play again until next season after an emergency appendix operation.
The Northern Ireland player is wanted by both halves of the Old Firm, and the towering striker is rated at around £2.5m by Burnley.
However, the 20-year-old will not be fully fit until the start of pre-season. Lafferty said: "When the doctor told me it was my appendix the first thing I asked was how long I'd be out for.
"When he said three to four weeks I felt like crying because I knew it was my season finished."
SHUNSUKE NAKAMURA has been told his World Cup dream is still alive – despite Japan being in crisis.
The Celtic superstar will be a key man as the Japanese look to put a rocky start to their qualifiers behind them and book their place in the South Africa Finals.
A stunning defeat by Bahrain has left new head coach Takeshi Okada facing a barrage of criticism.
But he believes he has the players to overcome a difficult opening.
He said: "The qualifiers will be absolutely no problem.
"I'm looking carefully at the players I need for each fixture.
"There are several new players making a positive impact and challenging for places."
The full article contains 1866 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
