McInnes 'embarrassed' after Rangers follow Celtic's debacle and lose in Conference League playoffs
Scottish football clubs Rangers and Celtic have both been eliminated from European competition following poor performances in qualifying rounds. Rangers manager Derek McInnes expressed embarrassment after his team's penalty shootout loss to Jablonec.
Why it matters
The failure of Scotland's top clubs to qualify for major European tournaments impacts the nation's standing in continental football.
LIBEREC, Czech Republic (AP) — Two days after Celtic's embarrassing elimination in Champions League qualifying, Scottish rival Rangers followed suit by falling to unheralded Czech team Jablonec in the Conference League playoffs.
Rangers took a 1-0 lead from the first leg but lost the return match by the same score and eventually was eliminated 4-3 in the penalty shootout, leaving the Glasgow club out of Europe beyond August for the first time since 2017.
"So embarrassed with it. We should be winning this tie, there's no two ways about it," Rangers manager Derek McInnes said. "I'm embarrassed at the fact that we should be performing a lot better. It's not easy for me to say that, because I'm here to help my players. I want my players to be so much better than they were tonight."
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