Ibrox Stadium outside view with three insets: Sir Alex Ferguson from his playing days, the Rangers badge, and the Athletic Bilbao.
On this day in 1969 Rangers welcomed Athletic Bilbao to Ibrox with Sir Alex Ferguson playing key role
Rangers fans are already getting excited for the visit of Athletic Bilbao in this season’s Europa League quarter finals.
Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde has been getting his Rangers excuses in early by lambasting the scheduling of the Spanish FA’s La Liga fixtures ahead of the game.
But Rangers will be fully focused on what they can control, with the Gers set to welcome Athletic to Ibrox in the Europa League on April 10th.
With Athletic’s Estadio de San Mames hosting this season’s Europa League Final in May, a hard task for Rangers has gotten a whole lot harder with the absence of John Souttar for the first leg in Glasgow.
Jose Mourinho thinks Rangers have little chance against Athletic having played the Spaniards in the group stage with Fenerbahce.
But Rangers fans should be buoyed by a timely flashback to 1969 and the last time the Gers hosted Athletic Bilbao at Ibrox.
READ MORE: Rangers let rip as UEFA sanctions shame club after poor behaviour by fans
Photo by Daily Record/Daily Record/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Photo by Daily Record/Daily Record/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
On this day in 1969: Rangers thump Athletic Bilbao at Ibrox
Rangers might have an abysmal record against Spanish clubs in general but they do not, as chance would have it, against Athletic Bilbao.
Rangers have faced off against Athletic Bilbao only once in their history, playing a two-legged tie against the Spaniards way back in 1969 in the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
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That competition would later evolve into the UEFA Cup and then the Europa League, with Rangers set to welcome Athletic back to Glasgow 56 years later.
But 56 years ago on the 19th of March 1969, Rangers were playing host to Athletic Bilbao in one of the club’s most famous European nights at Ibrox.
A Rangers team managed by David White ran out 4-1 winners in the first leg in Glasgow, with goals from Alex Ferguson, Andy Penman, Orjan Persson and Colin Stein giving the Gers the win on a dreadful Ibrox surface.
📸 The determination & the joy!
Colin Stein nets Rangers 4th goal in a 4-1 home win v Athletic Bilbao in the Fairs Cup Quarter Final tie in March 1969.
Look at the state of the pitch! pic.twitter.com/oly7F9gYPx
— Rangers History (@RangersFACTS) November 21, 2019
View Tweet
Yes, that’s the same Sir Alex Ferguson who’d go on to manage St Mirren, Aberdeen, Scotland and Manchester United.
John Greig also missed a penalty on the night and whilst Rangers would go on to lose the second leg 2-0, they had done enough at Ibrox to secure progression to the competition’s semi-finals.
Photo by Daily Record/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Photo by Daily Record/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Rangers would then be beaten by Newcastle United in the semi-finals, drawing 0-0 at Ibrox and losing 2-0 at St James’ Park.
Remarkably, after the Magpies went on the lift the trophy by beating Újpesti Dózsa of Hungary 6-2 on aggregate, they’d have to wait 56 years to lift another cup.
There were jubilant scenes at Wembley over the weekend as Newcastle United fans celebrating lifting the English League Cup after a 2-1 win over Liverpool, ending almost six decades of hurt.
“The fans deserve EVERYTHING… one of the best days of my life!” 🖤🤍
Bruno Guimaraes’ emotional post-match interview after Newcastle win the Carabao Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/nKWa60WAR5
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 16, 2025
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Europa League storm rumbles ahead of Rangers v Athletic
Rangers are set to face off against Athletic Bilbao amid a gathering storm surrounding fixture scheduling in La Liga.
Real Madrid have threatened to miss any future Spanish matches which are scheduled within 72 hours of playing in the Champions League, making headlines in Spain.
Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde was asked about the situation in lieu of the Europa League quarter final clash with Rangers and claims that for his team, this is nothing new.
“Then we wouldn’t have had to play a few,” Valverde told Sport.
”We play on Thursdays in Europe, normally at nine at night, and we finish at eleven. It’s not a 72-hour rest period. We played one day at nine and then on Sunday at two in the afternoon.”
Valverde then took aim at the schedule: “There are times when they hurt us. We go to play Villarreal and they take away a day’s rest. It’s incomprehensible because it’s beneficial for Spanish football for teams to progress through the rounds.”
They ought to try playing a Europa League away day in the far reaches of Eastern Europe and then coming back to Scotland to kick-off at 12pm on a frost-bitten plastic pitch!
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