For the European media it’s hard to talk about Rangers without also talking about Celtic, and the same goes the other way. That’s why Rangers returning to the Scottish Premiership was big news around the world media.
It would see the return of the Old Firm, and a match which still gathers attention worldwide. Whether it be at Ibrox or Celtic Park, Rangers facing up against Celtic is still worthy of coverage.
Brendan Rodgers’ brilliant Celtic team may have easily won the Scottish Premiership last season, and Moussa Dembele is well regarded as a rising world star, but it would have got more coverage had there been a real battle with Rangers.
That’s what Pedro Caixinha plans to change, and what he’s been brought in to do. Speaking to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, the manager says he’s on a mission at what he considers a big club in Europe, although it may have fallen dormant.
It was a former Rangers player, now an agent, who first approached Caixinha: “It started with Pedro Mendes, who presented me this possibility and I accepted the challenge. The financial question was never a priority, if it were I would never have come… there is a very significant difference between what I had in Al-Gharafa and what I have here.
“It’s a kind of project that I was pursuing, in which I believe, and a club with a dimension. Already we are forming a squad to to face reducing the gap with Celtic, which is big and clear.”
Asked if those in charge at Ibrox have demanded an immediate title challenge, Caixinha said they haven’t asked for anything, but added: “We are trying to make a leap forward to Celtic. A coach of Benfica, Sporting or FC Porto doesn’t need to say that he wants to be champion… here it’s the same. Second place is not enough, it’s not enough, and players have to have that mindset from the beginning.”
It’s quite clear that Pedro Caixinha’s aim, and his expectation, is to take Rangers a leap towards Celtic next season, and provide tougher competition for Brendan Rodgers.
