Furious Derek McInnes tears into Rangers players as ’embarrassing’ defeat to minnows leaves them with no Europe

Derek McInnes has issued a scathing assessment of his Rangers players after their second European exit of the season.

The Scottish giants missed out on a league or group stage berth for the first time since 2017 as they lost to Czech side Jablonec on Thursday.

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Despite leading 1-0 from last week’s first leg, McInnes’ side were taken to extra time after a defeat by the same scoreline in the Czech Republic.

Following a goalless additional 30 minutes, Jablonec advanced to the league phase of this season’s Conference League on penalties.

James Penrice and Findlay Curtis both missed from 12 yards for the visitors.

Rangers’ defeat follows their exit from the Europa League at the hands of Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Jablonec have now advanced to a European competition proper for just the second time in their history.

It leaves McInnes under further pressure, having won just two of his seven matches in all competitions; none of them have come in the league this term.

McInnes hits out after Rangers loss

Following Rangers’ latest defeat, the former Hearts boss ripped into his players during a furious post-match press conference outburst.

Speaking to reporters, McInnes admitted: “I’m embarrassed with the performance.

“The only people who represented the club well tonight were my staff, the support staff and the preparation.

“We do so much right here to get the players ready and in peak, peak condition to go and perform.

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“And the supporters, who to a man were outstanding, getting behind the team, despite watching what we were watching.

“It wasn’t a good performance by any stretch of the imagination. I’m not going to sit here and may excuses whatsoever.

“The responsibility is mine to make sure that we are better than what we served up tonight and we were miles short, miles short.

“We got what we deserved. I’m mortified by the performance.”

McInnes’ side return to action on Sunday with a Scottish Premiership trip to Aberdeen.

Scottish clubs in Europe

The defeat to Jablonec consigns Rangers to their earliest European exit since being beaten by Luxembourg-based side Progres Niederkorn in the Europa League first qualifying round nine years ago.

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It comes just two days after Celtic’s collapse against LASK saw their Glasgow rivals surrender a four-goal lead to exit the Champions League.

Rangers join Motherwell in exiting the Conference League, following a 7-2 aggregate reverse at the hands of Freiburg.

McInnes’ old club were successful on Wednesday, though, with Hearts beating Rapid Vienna on penalties to reach the league phase of the same competition.