Rangers have been knocked out of Europe for the first time since 2017 after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Jablonec in the UEFA Conference League play-offs, prompting a wave of reaction from world media.
The Glasgow giants took a narrow 1-0 lead to Czechia from the first leg but produced a dismal display, with Vakhtang Chanturishvili cancelling out the aggregate lead. The hosts, who finished fifth in the Czech league last term, passed up several chances to win the tie in normal time, but Rangers held on for another 30 minutes before Findlay Curtis and James Penrice missed in the shoot-out.
Global media reaction to Rangers' European exit
Czech outlet Sport described Rangers as a "fallen giant" amid waves of shots, noting that Jablonec "won in all statistics" and forced extra time before Jan Chramosta confirmed their progress to the main stage of the Conference League.
RTE in Ireland said the defeat was "a huge blow" to the Govan side, who were already knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers by Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok, and whose "massive rebuild under McInnes is struggling to get off the ground."
McInnes under scrutiny as rebuild stalls
iSport in Czechia reported that McInnes showed anger on the sideline during the game, as Rangers "cautiously guarded the one-goal lead" from the home leg. The coach made three substitutions at half-time, with World Cup participant Shankland doing little to trouble the home side, according to Aktualne.
Belgium's Sporza highlighted the scale of the fall, noting that Rangers had been Europa League finalists five seasons ago, and asked: "What has happened?"
L'Equipe in France called the result "the biggest surprise in the Conference League," while CNN Brasil noted that Jablonec "erased the deficit from Glasgow in the 73rd minute" and that "the game should not have gone to penalties" given the number of chances created.
