Clement laments ‘worst decision I have seen’ after costly exit

“Horrific” claimed Allan McGregor, “horrendous” fumed Alan Hutton, “a disgrace” pronounced fellow former Rangers players Billy Dodds and Derek Ferguson.

For manager Philippe Clement, Italian referee Marco Guida’s decision to show a second yellow card to Rangers winger Jefte in their 2-0 Champions League qualifying defeat by Dynamo Kyiv was “the worst decision I have seen in more than 30 years in football”.

The 20-year-old summer signing from Fluminense had already been booked for a first-half stamp and was walking a tightrope by the time he rose to challenge for a high ball with Oleksandr Karavayev five minutes into the second half.

With the sides tied 0-0 on the night and 1-1 on aggregate, the subsequent red card effectively turned the game in Kyiv’s favour and put an end to Rangers’ hopes of adding much-needed Champions League millions to their bank balance for a second season running.

“I’ve seen the images back, it’s clearly not a foul,” Clement told BBC Scotland. “He jumps higher and that’s everything that happens.

“He is not moving his arm towards the man or whatever. It is a very decisive moment and in the end it has killed the dream of the dressing room and killed the dream of more 50,000 fans and you expect a better level of decision-making.”

Clement indicated he would like to be stronger but preferred to keep his counsel to ensure he does not “get a ban”.

Former Rangers players working as BBC Scotland pundits were not so restrained in their assessment of a decision the referee told captain James Tavernier was for what he considered an elbow in the face.

Former Scotland striker Dodds said: “Maybe there’s a bump in the challenge for the ball, but I think that’s a shocker. It’s ridiculous.

“We know the game is getting modernised, but my word, if you’re getting a yellow card when it’s not even a foul, getting sent off for that, what’s the point?

“The referee – not good enough. Sorry, you shouldn’t be refereeing at this level.”

Goalkeeping great McGregor said the red card was “a big blow” as it came so early in the second half.

“It’s an absolutely horrific decision,” McGregor added. “It’s that bad, I don’t think the referee should work in the Champions League again this season.

“Anyone with two working eyes can see that’s not a second yellow card.”

McGregor and former Scotland right-back Hutton thought Jefte was penalised for being able to jump higher than his opponent.

“He’s got some leap on him and I think that’s how the referee has looked at it,” the latter said. “He’s got so high that it looks like his arm has maybe touched him.

“It’s a horrendous, horrendous decision and that has what’s cost Rangers.”

Defeat cost Rangers not only the tie 3-1 on aggregate but also the opportunity to face RB Salzburg in the play-off round for a place in the new format Champions League worth upward of the £30m banked by city rivals Celtic last season.

Clement pointed out that “financially, it’s a big difference for the club” and would “also make a difference” to what kind of signings the Belgian can bring to Ibrox.

“It’s hard for my team,” he said. “They don’t deserve this after these two games versus Dynamo Kyiv. One person with one decision made a really big change for us.

“We can only accept it and move forward towards the league and the Europa League.”

Clement was determined to see some positives.

“Everyone who watched this game saw we were the better team on the ball against a good Dynamo Kyiv team,” he said.

“We had a few chances to open up things and we knew they would get tired in the second half – then we get the red card. But, even then, with 10, I’m really proud with my players and what they showed.”

Former midfielder Ferguson, though, suggests that Clement and his players will feel a sense of frustration because “Dynamo were there for the taking”.

Despite strong early pressure, Rangers struggled to seriously trouble Dynamo goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan.

And McGregor believes his old team fell short in that respect because there are not enough goals in a squad that at times relies too much on captain and goalscoring right-back James Tavernier and striker Cyriel Dessers.

“Rangers are going to need to create and score from different areas of the pitch,” he said. “Other players need to contribute a lot more.”

For this season, those improvements will have to come domestically and in the Europa League as champions Celtic get their first taste of the more lucrative new Champions League format.