Rangers Suffer 9-1 Champions League Play-Off Defeat to Club Brugge

Rangers FC, under manager Russell Martin, suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Club Brugge in Belgium, resulting in a 9-1 aggregate loss in the Champions League play-off. The match quickly turned against Rangers after an early goal by Nicolo Tresoldi and a straight red card for right-back Max Aarons, which left the team with 10 men and vulnerable. Club Brugge dominated the game, scoring five goals by halftime and a sixth early in the second half, marking one of the worst nights in Rangers' history. This defeat costs Rangers an estimated £20 million as they drop from the Champions League to the Europa League, intensifying pressure on Martin, who has only three wins from 10 games, and sparking fan uproar and doubts from the club's USA-based ownership. Martin's tactical decisions, such as benching key players like Nicolas Raskin, were heavily criticized following the loss. Rangers now face a crucial domestic match against Celtic, where another defeat could deepen their Premier League struggles.