IN A season when Rangers are more conscious of the need for acceptable conduct from their supporters in Europe than ever before, yesterday's UEFA Cup group stage draw in Nyon threw up just as many concerns off the pitch as on it.
From a purely footballing perspective, their Group A campaign against Auxerre, Livorno, Maccabi Haifa and Partizan Belgrade would be deemed highly acceptable by manager Paul Le Guen in his quest to secure the top-three finish required for further pro
gress to the last 32 of the tournament next year.
It is doubtful, however, if the Ibrox club's security chief Laurence Macintyre was quite as thrilled by the subsequent computer fixture scheduling at UEFA's Nyon headquarters which deemed that Rangers will travel to Livorno for their opening tie on 19 October.
The Serie A club, who are competing in European competition for the first time, are followed by one of the most notorious supports in Italian football. Livorno, situated in Tuscany, is known as the capital of Italian anarchy and was the birthplace of the country's Communist Party in 1921.
Perhaps the only thing Livorno's supporters, known as Ultras, have in common with those of Rangers is a dislike of former Celtic striker Paolo Di Canio. Livorno's fans have their most violent rivalries with supporters of Italy's traditionally right-wing clubs Lazio, Inter Milan and Verona. In December last year, Di Canio gave a fascist salute while playing for Lazio against Livorno and was subsequently fined and banned after repeating the action during a game against Juventus. Clearly, security will be a major issue for the game at the 18,200 Armando Picchi Stadium later this month when the UEFA delegate on duty may have more to think about that any potential discriminatory chanting from what is likely to be a sizeable Rangers support.
While Livorno were the bottom-ranked club in the fourth of the five seeded pots for yesterday's draw, they are likely to present Rangers with a stern examination on matchday one. Promoted in 2004, after 55 years outside the top flight of Italian football, they secured an unexpected ninth place finish in Serie A last season.
Following the Italian match-fixing scandal which saw champions Juventus relegated, Livorno were promoted to a UEFA Cup place. This season, they have lost only once under new coach Daniele Arrigoni and are just four points behind Serie A leaders Roma after eight matches.
Their place in the group stage was secured with an aggregate win over the Austrian side SV Pasching in the first round. Livorno won 2-0 at home in the first leg and 1-0 away in the return. They have vast experience throughout their squad, including the former Bayern Munich defender Samuel Kuffour, ex- Everton forward Ibrahima Bakayoko and Italian international striker Cristiano Lucarelli who was the leading scorer in Serie A last season.
Lucarelli, a committed Communist who idolises Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, turned down several big money transfers during the season in order to remain with his home town club. "Italian sides are always difficult, so we know the first match will be tough," said Rangers assistant manager Yves Colleu yesterday. "Livorno have a match against Ascoli on 15 October, so we have a chance to see them before we play them."
Le Guen and Colleu will have to do less homework on Auxerre, the top seeded club in their group. Rangers will travel to France for their second away game on 23 November. It was Auxerre who eliminated them from the group stage of the UEFA Cup two years ago with a 2-0 win at Ibrox and Le Guen will hope for better fortune in his homeland. "It is a very interesting draw and we are obviously very happy to be going back to France," added Colleu.
"Paul and I know Auxerre very well, of course. They are a good side and we know that we will have a difficult game with them.
"I know the coach Jean Fernandez and spoke with him last year when he was with Marseille. It will be a key game in the group but I feel we have a good chance of qualifying."
Rangers' two home games will be against Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa on 2 November and Serbian side Partizan Belgrade on 15 December. Maccabi, who lost narrowly to Liverpool in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, overcame the Bulgarian side Litex Lovech in the first round of the UEFA Cup despite having to play their home leg in Holland. Their 3-1 win in Lovech was an indication that they can travel well.
Partizan, runners-up to eternal rivals Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian League last season, are struggling domestically so far in the current campaign but did record a highly creditable 4-3 aggregate win over Dutch club Groningen in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
Rangers must certainly look to take maximum points at home to two of the clubs ranked below them in the group if they are to become the first Scottish club to advance beyond this stage of the UEFA Cup.
"It's fair to say we don't know much about Maccabi or Partizan, but we have time to discover everything about them," said Colleu. "Having said that, I watched Maccabi playing against Liverpool in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and they were very impressive.
"They were unlucky to be knocked out, so that shows me what kind of team we are facing. I think it's good that our last game is at home against Partizan Belgrade because it could be a decisive game for us and it's better that it is at Ibrox."
The full article contains 977 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
