Mortified' McInnes confronts Rangers' European flop

The night air at Jablonec's stadium was thick with tension as Rangers prepared for a penalty shoot‑out, while manager Derek McInnes looked on, mortified by the unfolding drama that would end their European campaign.

Image and initial reaction

Image source, SNSByCharlotte CohenBBC Sport ScotlandPublished24 minutes ago captured the stunned faces of the Rangers' squad after the defeat. The club’s officials and supporters were shown in the footage, underscoring the gravity of the loss. It set the tone for the manager’s later comments.

Penalty shoot‑out collapse

Rangers, who entered the second leg in the Czech Republic with a 1‑0 lead, lost 4‑3 on penalties on Thursday, crashing out of the Conference League at the hands of Jablonec. Derek McInnes' side actually led early in the shoot‑out, only for Findlay Curtis and James Penrice to miss their final two penalties. The miss sealed the exit and left the club without European football beyond August for the first time since 2017.

McInnes takes full responsibility

"I’m embarrassed with the performance," McInnes said, adding that only his staff and the supporters had represented the club well that night. "I’m not going to make any excuses. Yes there’s been a big turnover of players, yes we looked inexperienced at times but the responsibility is mine," he continued. He described the team as "mortified" and stressed that elite preparation had not translated onto the pitch.

The post‑match statistics highlighted the struggle: just over 46% possession in the 120 minutes, a single shot on target, fewer than 70% of 16 tackles won and 17 fouls committed. McInnes argued that losing individual battles, duels and second balls was unacceptable for a club of Rangers' stature. He noted the need for signings to add experience and depth.

Historically, this marks the first time Rangers have missed out on European competition beyond August since a 2‑1 aggregate loss to Luxembourg's Progres Niederkorn in the Europa League first qualifying round in 2017. The club had previously secured a 5‑1 League Cup win over St Mirren and a 1‑0 victory against Jablonec at Ibrox, but those successes were eclipsed by the recent European failure.

The pressure on McInnes intensifies after a shaky start to his tenure at Ibrox, which already included a Europa League exit against Jagiellonia Bialystok and a draw and defeat in the opening two Premiership games. He admitted the team looked young and inexperienced, and that the defeat could set them back further. "We went into this game scrambling for confidence, but the team that deserved to go through went through tonight," he said, underscoring the disappointment felt across Europe and among the club’s supporters.