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Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
6 Rangers cult heroes the fans never really got to see enough of as Hamza Igamane sparks flashbacks
The Argentine striker was signed by Dick Advocaat in the summer of 1998 from Real Mallorca for £4.2 million. But he made an immediate impact in Rangers' UEFA Cup tie against Shelbourne in Tranmere - scoring twice as the new-look side had to come back from 3-0 down to win 5-3. It was clear that Amato had bags of ability up front. He loved a drag-back or a chop to bamboozle defenders - but could combine that with raw physical power and a thunderous shot. Who can forget his header against Celtic at Ibrox in a 2-2 Old Firm draw - then his nutmeg on defender Alan Stubbs to set up strike partner Rod Wallace for Gers' second goal? Amato was capable of producing moments of genius but under Advocaat he couldn't quite nail a regular start in the side. In his two years at Ibrox, he won two titles and a Scottish Cup, as well as grabbing another goal against Celtic in a 4-2 victory. But after just 18 months in Glasgow, he was sold on to Brazilian side Gremio.
Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
I know Celtic's transfer market strategy but it leaves Brendan Rodgers in the pressure pot again
Brendan Rodgers could not have been any clearer about the impressive impact last summer's pre-season work had on the way Celtic stylishly set about their business. Fast forward 12 months and I'd say it's even-more important this time around. Which is why I can understand some edginess that has been creeping into supporters as time ticks past with noise on the signing front remaining relatively quiet. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's at full volume in the background as Rodgers' recruitment team set about delivering the quality he wants. Benjamin Nygren's sealed deal says as much. A positive sign. I feel like I say this every year, but there really is no time to waste. Especially not this time with the sceptre of the Champions League qualifiers being back. Those games are enough to make you feel a bit queasy. I know, I've been there and I've been on the wrong end of them. It's not fun. As much as putting Ajax out for the first time was an incredible high, losing out to FC Basel was a kick in the guts, even if it did send us into the UEFA Cup and on a run to a final. Celtic didn't just hit the ground running last season. They absolutely sprinted into top gear from the first whistle. Granted, the signings weren't all in place by that time either with the likes of Adam Idah and Arne Engels arriving after the campaign was underway, but the work done in the build-up weeks was absolutely vital. That's not just me saying that, that's coming from the manager himself. Rodgers told us in no uncertain terms that the patterns of play used in the United States in games against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City were priceless when it came to going into the league phase of the Champions League. The way Nicolas Kuhn 's role was defined and perfected to ensure he began the season like an express train and barely stopped until running out of gas a bit near the end. Celtic won 16 of their first 18 Premiership matches and put the title to bed during that run, It was job done and Rodgers is going to want the same again. For that to happen in the way he plans, I'd be sure he wants many of the men he is going to be relying upon to be in the camp when they make their trips to Portugal and Italy. Look, again, I'm not daft. I understand how the market works. I'm fully aware that Celtic will have targets who, at this stage, might not be unavailable due to their own clubs not having made up their mind, or that agents are playing a waiting game and trying to smoke out the best deals, waiting to see if they can generate as much interest as possible for their client. Unless Celtic are going to start paying silly money, I'd imagine they may have to wait, perhaps even until the end of the window, for some of the key targets. But it still feels a little lacking to me at this precise point of proceedings and, at the very least, Rodgers will surely want the majority in his squad for the start of the domestic season. Having the unit functioning smoothly and working in tandem is vital. There are competitive domestic games before the qualifiers, but Rodgers has been in this movie before and he is going to want to be as tooled up as possible for when they come around. Yes staying top of the pile in the Scotland is the key. That's the bread and butter and it always has to be the priority. But I stood five yards from Rodgers on the pitch at Tannadice on the day Celtic clinched the title and you could not hide the excitement he had about the prospect of going back into the Champions League next season and kicking on from last term's efforts. Celtic got their pride back. It's what the manager wanted and now it's about building. But you can't do that if you aren't in it. Rodgers doesn't need me to tell him what it's like to have to deal with these qualifiers without a full deck of cards. He's been there. When he walked in the door the first time, the juggling act and scrambling to make it to the group-phase through the final qualifiers against Astana and Hapoel Be'er Sheva having lost a first-leg tie to Lincoln Red Imps shredded the nerves. Kolo Toure parachuted into the squad in the midst of it. Same the following year. Battling to get through, having to play Tom Rogic basically up front. Eventually, it caught up with Celtic when AEK Athens put them out in Rodgers' last attempt before he left. Now returned, he's back in that pressure pot and, at this stage, there looks like there's plenty to be done. Kieran Tierney has signed, but who is the back up with Greg Taylor leaving? Nygren now in with Ross Doohan, yet the new striker that was wanted in January when Kyogo left will still be wanted. Other areas of the side to be addressed. It seems there is much to do and there's too much going on the line for Celtic not to try and get as much of it done as soon as possible. Rodgers and his team are heading into that pre-season campaign shortly. For it to have the same maximum effect as it had a year ago, having some more of the targeted new faces on the pre-season flights wouldn't go amiss.
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Juventus vs. Man City: Preview, odds, how to watch, time
The FIFA Club World Cup continues as Juventus and Man City square off in Orlando. Here's everything you need to know about Juventus vs. Man City. How to watch Juventus vs. Manchester City Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025 Time: 3:00 p.m. ET Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL TV: TNT Streaming: DAZN Check out the top moments from this Gold Cup match between Canada and El Salvador! Betting Odds As of June 26, 2025, the odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook) for the match are: Juventus: +340 Draw: +265 Manchester City: –120 Juventus vs. Manchester City Head to Head Juventus and Manchester City have met a total of 7 times in UEFA competitions since 1976. Juventus has won 4 of those encounters, City has won just once, and 2 matches have ended in a draw. Juventus vs. Manchester City Past Results December 11, 2024: Juventus 2–0 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League) November 25, 2015: Juventus 1–0 Manchester City (UEFA Champions League) September 15, 2015: Manchester City 1–2 Juventus (UEFA Champions League) December 16, 2010: Juventus 1–1 Manchester City (UEFA Europa League) September 30, 2010: Manchester City 1–1 Juventus (UEFA Europa League) September 29, 1976: Juventus 2–0 Manchester City (UEFA Cup) September 15, 1976: Manchester City 1–0 Juventus (UEFA Cup) Team Form Below are the last 5 matches for each team and the results: Juventus 6/22: vs WAC (Win 4–1) 6/18: vs AAN (Win 5–0) 5/25: at Venezia (Win 3–2) 5/18: vs Udinese (Win 2–0) 5/10: at Lazio (Draw 1–1) Manchester City 6/22: vs AAN (Win 6–0) 6/18: vs WAC (Win 2–0) 5/25: at Fulham (Win 2–0) 5/20: vs Bournemouth (Win 3–1) 5/17: at Crystal Palace (Loss 0–1) recommended Get more from FIFA Club World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rangers Champions League qualifying dates against Panathinaikos confirmed as Russell Martin gears for baptism of fire
Gers face a tricky assignment in their bid to get amongst Europe's elite in the coming season Rangers now know the lay of the land in their Champions League second round qualifier against Panathinaikos after UEFA officially confirmed the dates of the two-legged tie. New boss Russell Martin has been given a tough task in his first competitive games as Gers boss when his side take on the Greek giants next month. Rangers haven't reached the group stages - which were revamped into a league format last year - of the competition since the 2021/22 campaign under Gio van Bronckhorst but have decent history against Panathinaikos after dumping them out of the UEFA Cup during their epic run to the final in 2008. And Gers fans will pack out Ibrox for the first leg clash, which will take place on Tuesday, July 22 with a BST kick-off time of 7.45pm. The return fixture at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium will be held eight days later on Wednesday, July 30 at a slightly earlier UK time of 7pm. The winner over the two legs will progress to the third qualifying round of the Champions League which will take place over two weeks on August 5/6 and 11/12. Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell are ramping up their attempts to improve the playing squad ahead of the crunch ties next month. Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons is poised to complete a loan switch to Ibrox, while Leicester City centre-back Conor Coady remains a key target. New options up front also remain high on the agenda, and while Westerlo frontman Matija Frigan recently expressed his excitement at the potential move to Rangers, a swoop for Israeli striker Dor Turgeman is now looking increasingly unlikely. Martin is also bracing himself for interest in some of his top men, with midfielder Nicolas Raskin a target for Premier League side Wolves. The Belgium international is also said to be on Aston Villa's radar as well as several clubs abroad. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
I was in the last Rangers team who faced Panathinaikos and we brushed off their missiles by dumping them out of Europe
Steven Naismith got a taste of the cauldron of noise at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium during Gers run to the UEFA Cup final in 2008 THE last time Rangers faced Panathinaikos in Athens Steven Naismithhad to sprint up the tunnel to avoid being hit by coins and glass bottles. And that was just in the WARM-UP. As a wet-behind-the-ears 21-year-old, he was blown away by the atmosphere at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium. There were only 16,000 inside the ground that night in 2008 as Walter Smith 's side secured a 1-1 draw to progress in the UEFA Cup. It was the start of their memorable run to the final in Manchester, which ended in defeat to Zenit St Petersburg. Now, 17 years on, Gers are gearing up to take on the Greens again – this time in a crucial Champions League qualifier next month. This game will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, which will house 75,000 fanatical supporters. And if the atmosphere is anything like what it's like at their home ground, Naismith says Russell Martin and his side are in for a baptism of fire. It will be the new gaffer's first competitive action since taking over at Ibrox. After a home leg in Govan, they'll attempt to reach the next Champions League qualifying round and eventually the lucrative group stage. But Naismith knows it won't be easy in the Greek heat, having experienced it himself as a player. The former Rangers forward said: 'That was one of the most hostile places ever. It was on the run to the UEFA Cup Final. 'I remember Gate 13. That is where the tunnel is and all the Ultras gather round it. Naively, I was laughing and joking coming out for the warm-up. 'But the next minute, there were glass bottles, coins, all sorts getting launched at us. Every time you went near the tunnel, you had to sprint in and sprint out. 'It was really hostile, that's my biggest memory of it. The night turned out to be really good for us, with Nacho Novo coming on and scoring to make it 1-1. It was a brilliant environment to play in but very hostile. 'When you look at the teams Rangers could have got, it's definitely the toughest opposition. On top of that, you've had a takeover, a new manager and a squad rebuild that needs to happen.' Naismith stood up to the challenge against Panathinaikos that night and helped Rangers qualify. And he says ties like these are where new boss Martin will really find out about his players' character. Naismith believes individuals can either thrive or wilt under the pressure, which is the true test of being an Old Firm player. He said: 'You can talk about an atmosphere but until you're in it and experience it, it's just words. 'When you do experience it, it's a case of what way are you going? Are you intimidated or do you think this is good? 'That's the real root of whether you're going to be a success at Rangers or Celtic. It's about mentality. Do you go into that environment in Athens and think I'm up for that, I like a bit of this? 'Or do you say, don't give me the ball because I'm scared? If it's the latter, you won't be a success. 'And that can be players with great ability. For the last 30 years, Rangers and Celtic have signed players who are brilliant in other leagues but can't hack it here. 'It's all down to mentality. That's been a problem for Rangers. To say players have hidden is unfair. They just can't hack it. 'Philippe Clement made a point of buying younger players to develop. But younger players rarely have that mentality straight away and are ready to go. 'That's where they become safe. When they're 1-0 down at home with 10 minutes to go and they don't want to make a brave pass or shoot from a tight angle. It's tough.' Martin will be under the microscope from the off as Rangers manager, with Champions League qualifiers sandwiched between Scottish Premiership games. Financially, it's vital for the club and its new American owners to be dining at Europe's top table. But Naismith insists Martin's first priority has to be the bread-and-butter domestic games – where Rangers have fallen well short in recent years. He said: 'As important as Champions League and European success is – if Rangers miss out on this one but make the next 10 – that's proper success. 'You have to understand where Rangers are at just now. I think that success domestically has to be the first aim. Of course, it's not as clear-cut as saying it's one over the other – because Rangers can have both. 'But what won't be accepted is what's happened in previous years where it has been: 'Oh we've done well in Europe but we're 10 or 15 points behind in the league'. 'That just won't what has to change. Rangers have to beat the other teams in the Scottish top flight. If you look at the points they dropped against teams from the middle to low end of the table last season, it was unacceptable. 'That's how the gap goes from being four points – where there is still pressure on the team at the top – to that big a gap where it becomes easy and the team at the top can cruise.' ● Steven Naismith was speaking courtesy of William Hill and the Warm-Up, SPFL title sponsors.
