KIRK BROADFOOT is confident Rangers will not suffer a European hangover, despite losing out on the UEFA Cup to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester last night.
And the Ibrox full-back insists this can still be a successful season for Walter Smith's men if they go on and win the domestic treble.
Goals from Igor Denisov and Konstatin Zyryanov saw Zenit claim their first European trophy and ensured disappoi
ntment for tens of thousands of Rangers fans who had been hoping to see their side win their first continental prize in 36 years.
But Rangers remain strong favourites for the Scottish Cup and slim favourites for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title, and Broadfoot insists the focus must now turn to events at home.
He said: "We gave everything we had and maybe on the night they just had that wee bit of class – who knows? They got the goals and we didn't but we have to take heart from it. We have to lift ourselves.
"We have a league and a Scottish Cup to win now, starting with Saturday's game at Motherwell. It's a new team, we only got together at the beginning of the season, so to get to a European final, the Scottish Cup final and still be in there in the league is remarkable. It's a season that we don't want to go downhill now. We want to win the league, we want to win the Scottish Cup, and we want to end the season on a high.
"We are obviously disappointed but it has been a great campaign to get here and the boys have been magnificent. From a personal point of view, to play in a European final is amazing. But, once you are there, you want to win it so it's very disappointing. I don't really have the words to describe it."
Rangers disposed off Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina in earlier rounds of the tournament only to fall at the final hurdle against former boss Dick Advocaat's Russian champions.
"I think we had beaten better teams if I'm being honest," Broadfoot said. "We didn't get the breaks. I think Barry (Ferguson) could have had a penalty and, on another night, maybe we could have got that.
"It wasn't to be but we enjoyed ourselves and now we have to pick ourselves up again.
"I thought we were always in the game.
"They are a good side but we had a chance and I thought we could have taken it. They are neat and tidy but we always thought we could get the goal that would win us the game. But it wasn't to be."
Zenit could also have had a penalty when the scoreline was still deadlocked after Broadfoot handled in the box shortly before the break but he believes the referee called the decision correctly when he dismissed the claims for a spot-kick.
"I just tried to block the cross and he has hit against my hand," he said.
"It's one of those ones that it's so close that I couldn't get out of the road. It would have been a bit harsh if the referee had given it.
"If I'm being honest, my heart was in my mouth for a moment but it hit my hand and I couldn't get out of the way."
Around 150,000 supporters descended upon Manchester for one of the Rangers' biggest games in years and Broadfoot had nothing but praise for the Light Blues following. "The fans were fantastic," he said. "I actually didn't think there would have been that many in the stadium.
"They came down in numbers and they were great.
"It was a good occasion for them and we are just disappointed that we couldn't go home with the trophy."
Gers captain David Weir challenged his team to bounce back from last night's heartbreak and claim a victory at Motherwell on Saturday that would take them a step closer to what can only now be a treble.
"We've come a long way and won a lot of games that maybe we shouldn't have, but it's just big disappointment," Weir said.
"They are a very good side so big credit to them.
"They beat Bayern Munich in the semis and Bayer Leverkusen, but we want to be up there picking up the trophy."
On the Motherwell clash he added: "That's what we're focused on now.
"We'll find out what we're all about on Saturday morning."
The full article contains 756 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
