ian1964 10,411 Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Zenit St Petersburg will not play another game until the Uefa Cup final after the Russian Football Federation cleared their fixtures. And Rangers chief executive Martin Bain has complained that the Scottish Premier League has not given similar help to Zenit's opponents on 14 May. "The SPL should take a long hard look at what other federations do, given the enormity of the situation," he said. "And what reaching a European final has done for the coefficient and country." Zenit were due to play Lokomotiv Moscow at home on 7 May and Luch Energia in the Russian Far-eastern city of Vladivostok on 11 May. But the national association says Dick Advocaat's side can play those in June. Rangers, in contrast, now face playing eight games in 21 days. They will host Dundee United at home four days before facing Zenit. The Scottish season has been badly hit by match postponements this season. And, although the SPL has delayed the end of the season by four days, Rangers are angry that they are still being required to play four games within eight days. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyk 158 Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 but the SPL are helping us are they not 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmck 117 Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 bloody terrible. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_momo1 0 Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 not suprised, the only reason the spl doesn't want to help us is they don't want to get all the t*ms complaining saying there siding with us and a bigger consipiracy farce 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 743 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Its a disgrace. Those who run the SPL are an embarrassment to football. "Ooo we cant touch a few fixtures" - One of your clubs is in a european final FFS!! The sooner we look at braking away to an Atlantic league the better then we'll see how much the SPL love us!! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig 5,195 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Screw the SPL - lets win the quad WITHOUT their help and then tell them they are a bunch of ! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,411 Posted May 4, 2008 Author Share Posted May 4, 2008 By Ron Scott and Danny Stewart THE Russian Football Federation has shown the SPL how to reward member clubs for reaching a European Final. Zenit St Petersburg will not now play another game until they meet Rangers in the UEFA Cup Final at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 14. By comparison, Rangers have been forced to play three League games against Hibs (away today), Motherwell (at home on Wednesday) and Dundee United (at home next Saturday) before they can turn their thoughts to the club’s biggest game in 36 years. Announced The Russian authorities announced yesterday they have cancelled Zenit’s next three games against CSKA Moscow (a), Lokomotiv Moscow (h) and Luch-Energiya Vladivostok (a). Cancelling the Vladivostok game is certainly music to coach Dick Advocaat’s ears. It’s Zenit’s furthest away game of the season, entailing a nine-hour flight and six time-changes and was due to be played four days before the Final. But, with their games now having been cancelled, Zenit have been afforded a 12-day rest. No wonder Advocaat is delighted. “It is a strange situation for Rangers having to play three games in seven days before the final,” said their former boss. “Things are much different here. The authorities go out of their way to help teams who are successful in Europe.” Spy The cancellation of Zenit’s games means Advocaat will almost certainly return to Ibrox to spy on his old team either on Wednesday or Saturday. Meanwhile, Ally McCoist has hit back at Italian criticism of Rangers. Angered by his side’s UEFA Cup defeat on Thursday, Fiorentina President Andrea della Valle accused the Light Blues of “awful” football. Club coach Cesare Prandelli chipped in by claiming that Rangers are a team that “just do not want to play”. But Walter Smith’s assistant has defended both his team and the tactics used in the UEFA Cup. “We went to a country where they are the best in the world at defending and beat them at their own game,” he said. “When the Italians do it, it is fantastic and wonderful. But, when we do the same thing, it is ‘anti-football’. Compliment “People are criticising us just now and that is fine. It goes with the territory. “Personally, I take it as a compliment because they obviously have got a problem if they are saying it. “Anyone with any intelligence at all would look deeper into the situation. They would see that what we are doing is playing to our strengths.” And McCoist — who also praised several of the Fiorentina camp for clapping Rangers off the pitch on Thursday — pledged no amount of criticism will stop Rangers adopting a similar approach in the UEFA Cup Final in 10 days’ time. “We have watched them and they are the kind of team that LIKE to be attacked,” he admitted. “They have players up front with real pace, guys who are absolute lightning. “They want you to have a go so they can batter you, as they did to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. “We will not give them that worry, I can assure you!” 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 743 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Look at the contrast, they dont play again until the final and we have 3 games packed into 6 days 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAUREN.L 0 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I don't even want to read it it really winds me up!! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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