6 of the most embarrassing European defeats for Scottish clubs

Rangers' 2-0 loss to a part-time team from Luxemburg has been called the club's worst ever defeat in European competition. But it is far from the first time a Scottish side has been humbled by continental opposition.

Malmo celebrate their fourth goal at Easter Road in 2013. The Swedish side defeated Hibs 9-0 on aggregate. Picture: Greg Macvean

Hibs 0-7 Malmo (Europa League, 2013)

Pat Fenlon’s Hibs were no strangers to crushing defeats. But few could have predicted the Easter Road club would collapse so spectacularly in what was the second leg of a Europa League qualifier in July 2013.

Hibs appeared to have done the hard bit by frustrating the Swedes to a 2-0 win in the first leg, thanks to a particularly inspired performance by goalkeeper Ben Williams.

A week later, a 16,000 crowd in Edinburgh were treated to a first half horror show as Malmo raced to a 4-0 lead in 20 minutes.

The 9-0 aggregate defeat remains the heaviest ever experienced by a Scottish club in European football.

Hearts 0-5 Tottenham (Europa League, 2011)

Harry Redknapp’s Spurs tore Hearts apart at Tynecastle in the first leg of the 2011-12 Europa League play-off round. First-half goals by Rafael van der Vaart, Jermain Defoe and Jake Livermore put the visitors in the driving seat. Further goals by Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon killed the tie. Hearts played much better in the return leg at White Hart Lane which finished goalless.

Aberdeen 1-5 Sigma Olomouc (Europa League, 2009)

A humiliating Europa League first leg defeat by the Czech side in 2009. In new manager Mark McGhee’s first match in charge at Pittodrie, the Dons suffered their worst-ever home defeat. They lost the second leg 3-0 for a club record 8-1 aggregate defeat. McGhee, of course, had been a key member of the all-conquering Aberdeen side of the 1980s.

Kaunas 2-1 Rangers (Champions League, 2008)

Playing in the second qualifying round of the 2008-09 Champions League, Rangers had been held at home by Lithuanian side Kaunas in a goalless first leg. They led 1-0 away in the return but Nerijus Radzius equalised just before the break. A header four minutes from time by former Hearts player Linas Pilibaitis gave Kaunas a dramatic victory over Walter Smith’s side who had reached the Uefa Cup final the previous season.

Artmedia Bratislava 5-0 Celtic (Champions League, 2005)

Gordon Strachan endured a disastrous start to his tenure as Celtic manager in 2005 when his side slumped to a humiliating five-goal drubbing by the Slovakians. Juraj Halenar scored a hat-trick, while Blazej Vascak and Martin Mikulic claimed a goal apiece. Celtic did restore some pride in the return leg in Glasgow, but a brave 4-0 win was not enough to prevent an early European exit in the Champions League qualifying round.

Motherwell 1-3 MyPa-47 (Uefa Cup, 1995)

The Steelmen finished the 1995/5 Premier Division season as runners-up - their highest league finish in 60 years - and their reward was a place in the Uefa Cup for the second successive year.

A bumper Fir Park crowd of 8,000 expected Alex McLeish’s to easily see off MyPa-47 of Finland in their first competivie match of the new campaign.

But the part-timers - who were already half way through their own season - proved to be far from push-overs. Motherwell took an early lead, but the Finns quickly took control of the game and ran out comprehensive winners.

Despite winning the return leg 2-0, Motherwell crashed at the first hurdle.