Rangers cancel Australia friendly plans for second time as humiliating Celtic clash U turn rears its head again

Rangers cancel Australia friendly plans for second time as humiliating Celtic clash U turn rears its head again

Rangers have been forced to delay plans for a money-spinning trip to Australia for a SECOND time.

Record Sport understands the Ibrox outfit were set to go Down Under for a glitzy end-of-season kick-about with Greek side Olympiacos later this month.

The week after the Scottish Cup Final, Barry Ferguson, the manager, would have led his squad on a five-day antipodean trip to Sydney, according to plans made at the beginning of the season.

Ferguson’s team was scheduled to depart on Monday, May 26 and play this season’s Piraeus-based Europa League opponents two days later before returning home on Friday, May 30.

But the quick-fire tour was abandoned after Ferguson and Co stunned Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce to reach the last eight of the Europa League.

Ibrox officials decided that the busy schedule would have put too much strain on club staff and Ferguson’s players had they traveled all the way to Spain, with only days to prepare for the 23-hour long-haul flight to Oz.

The Light Blues eventually lost 2-0 on aggregate to the Basque team, ending their hopes of making it to the final at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames on Wednesday next week.

This decision comes three years after Gers pulled out of a previously scheduled friendly with Celtic in Sydney, which would have seen the Old Firm play outside Glasgow’s city limits for the first time ever.

But after a backlash from supporters, Gers executives were forced to make a humiliating U-turn and forfeit a lucrative £3 million payout.

The fans were incensed to see then-Parkhead manager Ange Postecoglou take the headlines ahead of the Hoops coach’s homecoming show, while Celtic went ahead with the trip, playing Premier League powerhouse Everton and A-League team Sydney FC.

The Ibrox board was threatened with a hefty £1.6 million legal action, but was spared that enormous expense when they reached an out-of-court settlement with the tournament organizers.

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