Rangers hero snubbed Celtic for Ibrox and today is the anniversary of his greatest Old Firm moment
Rangers’ recent record in Old Firm derbies at Celtic Park certainly does not bode particularly well for Barry Ferguson’s team as they travel across Glasgow to face a Hoops side looking to go 19 points clear at the summit.
But, with Sunday representing the 22-year anniversary of Rangers’ dramatic League Cup final victory over their arch rivals in green and white, there is at least one good omen Barry Ferguson and co can cling onto.
Ferguson captained Rangers to glory at Hampden Park en route to completing a domestic treble under Alex McLeish.
Such glory days feel like a long time ago now, of course, but Ferguson’s return to Ibrox in a coaching role does ensure that Rangers will head to Celtic Park under the guidance of a man who knows what is required on occasions such as this.
Whether Ferguson puts himself in the running for the permanent job, only time will tell. But, after outfoxing Jose Mourinho to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, ending Rangers’ five-year wait for a victory at Parkhead would put another emphatic tick next to his name.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Barry Ferguson hoping to emulate League Cup triumph as Rangers face Celtic
“I thought his tactics were really good in the first leg against Fenerbahce in Turkiye last week,” McLeish tells the Scottish Sun; The apprentice earning his master’s approval.
“He played that way because, at the moment, Rangers don’t have enough creative players to break down defences. He’s not as fortunate as I was in that Treble season in 2003!”
You can say that again.
While Vaclav Cerny wreaked havoc over two legs against Fenerbahce – scoring twice in Turkey before mustering the most shots of any Rangers player at Ibrox – the days when Rangers could call upon the likes of Mikel Arteta, Peter Lovenkrands, Ronald de Boer, Shota Arveladze, Michael Mols and Claudio Caniggia are long gone.
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“To win the Treble was a fantastic achievement and, of course, winning the League Cup that day set everything in motion for us,” McLeish recalls, the aforementioned Caniggia reacting at lightning pace as he opened the scoring on that fateful March afternoon in 2003.
“Claudio’s goal was brilliant. His speed was great to get to the loose ball in the box. It was a good finish.”
Rangers beat Celtic to Claudio Caniggia signing
To think, the man who lit the fuse under that Hampden Park triumph and a historic treble season could very easily have ending up donning green and white rather than the deep blue of Rangers.
Speaking back in 2001, while his client was taking Scottish football by storm with Dundee, Caniggia’s agent confirmed that Celtic were closing in on a £2.5 million deal to bring the 50-cap Argentina international to Parkhead.
“The Scottish club [hoping to sign Caniggia] is Celtic,” and although we have met just once, they are anxious to sign Claudio,” said Fernando Consentino.
Caniggia would choose Rangers instead however, feeling that a switch to Ibrox would be a boost to his hopes of being included in Marcelo Bielsa’s Argentina squad for the 2002 World Cup.
“Let me tell you, I remember Celtic came to me and Rangers also to speak about moving,” Caniggia recalled, speaking to the Evening Telegraph in 2018.
“I was already 33 years old and I wanted to go to the World Cup. I did when I was 35 because of that.
“Sometimes, it is difficult to leave when you have had a great time but I couldn’t miss the opportunity.”
As the ball fell into his path inside the box at Hampden Park, much to the despair of Celtic and the jubilation of Rangers, this was another opportunity Claudio Caniggia had no intention of spurning.
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