By Khilen Mehta

Rangers’ Uefa Cup dream ended after they fell 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester. The game was severely overshadowed however by scenes of violence that ruined the carnival atomosphere. Thousands of ticketless Rangers fans had made their way into Manchester city centre during the day and were looking forward to enjoying the game on the big screen and hopefully witnessing Scotland´s first European cup in 25 years.

However violence broke out after a giant screen in Piccadilly Gardens failed to work, leaving thousands of fans unable to watch the match. Police said that most fans were well-behaved, but a “significant minority” reacted angrily, pelting the screen with beer bottles. Riot police charged the crowd after hostile fans lobbed bottles and cans while others taunted officers and filmed them with mobile phones. Thirty people were arrested and charged with a variety of offences including affray, possession of an offensive weapon, serious assault, possession of drugs and theft.

Rangers came to Manchester in search of a great prize but could only leave the stadium with their heads held high. Zenit were by far the better team, but the Glaswegian steel made sure that the game was always tense. En route to the final, Rangers had won just two games and their campaign has been defined by patience and endurance and they continued with their strategy all through the games.  Though Zenit were clearly the more accomplished side, for much of the game they were not permitted to rise above the struggle. Rangers harried and hurried the opposition and fought for every ball.

But the suspicion that Rangers could not hold off the attacking threat of Zenit, which had seen them romp home against Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, proved to be founded. when two slick Zenit moves sealed the competition for the Russians. At the beginning of the game the Rangers fans had unfurled a banner for the squad to read as it conducted a pre-match warm-up. The message read: “This is your chance. This is your time. Become legends.” Alas for the players and the fans, their dreams of a historics quadruple fell at the first hurdle.