Rangers boss slams Standard Liege staff for lacking humility after Kemar Roofe wonder-goal and 'A' celebration

Steven Gerrard insists members of the Standard Liege coaching staff lacked ‘class and humility’ in the angry post-match scenes which marred Rangers’ outstanding 2-0 Europa League victory in Belgium.

Angry clashes between players and staff of Standard Liege and Rangers at the end of the Ibrox side's 2-0 Europa League Group D win in Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Players and officials from both clubs clashed after the home side took exception to Kemar Roofe’s celebration of his wonder goal from inside his own half which clinched all three points for Rangers in stoppage time of the Group D opener.

Standard appeared to be riled by the former Anderlecht striker making an ‘A’ sign in front of some of the 3,750 fans allowed inside the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. But it’s a celebration Roofe has marked his goals with throughout his career, long before he had a spell in Belgian football.

Rangers manager Gerrard believes the booking Roofe received from Danish referee Jakob Kehlet was sufficient sanction in the circumstances and was critical of the reaction from the home team.

“That’s the problem when you get a couple of their staff members who get over-excited and don’t handle themselves with class and humility,” said Gerrard.

“The Kemar situation was for me to deal with. I would have had a quiet word with him. But he was lost in the moment and had just scored the best goal of his career so far. He has been punished for what he did and that should have been the end of it.

“When the dust settles Standard Liege will be disappointed in how they reacted. But we move and we will welcome them to Ibrox with class and look forward to that game.”

Rangers now face an anxious wait for UEFA match delegate Jovan Surbatovic to file his report before they discover if there will be any further disciplinary action.

“I can't control what comes our way from that,” added Gerrard. “I don't think I'd describe what happened as ugly. That's too harsh. It was a little something or nothing.

“They were disappointed in Kemar's celebration but Kemar was punished for that and that's for me to deal with and for me to handle.

“They are obviously very frustrated they have been beaten for the first time in Europe in six years on their own patch. But it was disappointing and we thought it could have been avoided.”

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