Rangers to face Red Star Belgrade in last 16 of Europa League - who is their coach and key players?

Rangers will take on Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade for a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side were the first name pulled from the perspex bowls when the last 16 draw took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Friday morning.

Rangers will be at home in the first leg on Thursday March 10 before travelling to the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade for the return fixture seven days later.

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It will be the fourth time the clubs have faced each other in European club competition. Rangers triumphed in the first meeting back in 1964, winning a European Cup first round tie 3-1 in a play-off after the teams drew 5-5 on aggregate.

Ibrox will host the first leg of Rangers' Europa League last 16 tie against Red Star Belgrade on March 10. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)Ibrox will host the first leg of Rangers' Europa League last 16 tie against Red Star Belgrade on March 10. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)
Ibrox will host the first leg of Rangers' Europa League last 16 tie against Red Star Belgrade on March 10. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Red Star then beat Rangers 4-1 on aggregate in the second round of the European Cup in 1990 before the Ibrox men came out on top in the most recent clash, winning 1-0 on aggregate in a Champions League third qualifying round tie in 2007.

Rangers are in the last 16 of the Europa League for a third consecutive season and will feel confident they go at least one step further after their memorable 6-4 aggregate success against Borussia Dortmund in the knockout round play-offs.

Red Star dropped into the Europa League this season after losing to Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. They then defeated Romanian side Cluj 6-1 on aggregate in the Europa League play-off round.

Red Star - or Crvena zvezda as they are now formally referred to by UEFA - went on to win a closely contested Group F by a point from Portuguese side Braga. They lost only one game in a group which also included Danish side Midtjylland and Bulgarian champions Ludogorets.

They have been coached by club legend and former Lazio and Inter Milan star Dejan Stankovic since 2019.

Red Star are currently five points behind their great rivals Partizan Belgrade in another two-horse race for the Serbian title this season.

Among their key players are Austrian international defender Aleksandar Dragovic and Serbian international winger Aleksandar Katai who has scored six goals in Europe this season.

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