Rangers booked their place in the Europa League final after overcoming a 1-0 first leg deficit to beat RB Leipzig 3-1 in the second leg of the semi-final at Ibrox last midweek.
James Tavernier, Glen Kamara and John Lundstram goals at home helped Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side make it to the final of the second-tier European competition at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium on May 18th.
Rangers will take on Eintracht Frankfurt, who overcame West Ham United in the previous round of the competition.
Marco Negri, formerly of Rangers, has sent a message to Van Bronckhorst and his men for the crucial tie against the German club in the European final.
“Ibrox: the atmosphere of the stadium is unique. The fans pushed the team to believe in it and to achieve the result,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The Europa League final has yet to be played but Rangers have already won in the stands. Their supporters are spectacular: I was lucky to have worn that shirt and to have experienced that involvement as a protagonist.”
When quizzed what Rangers should aim for against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Italian explained: “The final will be an open match. Eintracht are playing under a lot of pressure, they are unbalanced, all the defending German teams accept one on ones and therefore there will be chances.
“There will also be other factors not to be overlooked, such as emotionality and the young age of the squad.
“Rangers must face it without fear, with nothing to lose. I advise them not to be satisfied and to aim for victory without having too much weight to necessarily win something. They are already legends for Scottish football.”
On the current Rangers squad, the 51-year-old had this to say: “There are several quality players, like Tavernier, the full-back goalscorer, the real director of the team.
“We pass through a midfield that cost almost nothing but that made the difference: Kamara arrived for £50,000 [€58,000], Lundstram for free, Aribo with £300,000.
“Kent will be the man of quality, the one who will jump in one-on-one: probably the most dangerous actions will start from him.”
Negri spent four seasons with Rangers between 1997 and 2001. In his first month with the Scottish side, he scored five goals in their 5-1 win over Dundee United at Ibrox. The former striker admitted he will watch the Europa League final wearing a Rangers shirt.
