Crowd trouble overshadows Rangers encounter

Osasuna coach Jose Angel Ziganda spoke positively of Rangers’ travelling support, even though his side’s historic UEFA Cup triumph was marred by crowd disturbances involving visiting fans.

Around 1,800 Rangers supporters had official tickets for the match at Osasuna’s 20,000-capacity Reyno de Navarra stadium, but many more than that were thought to have attended the match.

Pockets of Rangers fans were spread throughout the ground but it was in the corner where the majority were situated during the second half of the match where riot police clashed with the visiting supporters.

Rangers have since announced they will be issuing a complaint about the lack of segregation and ’heavy-handed’ policing at the game.

Ziganda did not comment on that issue following the match, but he did praise the visiting fans for their part in contributing to a special atmosphere during the contest.

“They have amazing fans, as they have proved here in Pamplona, so it is a big victory for us,” said Ziganda, whose side’s 2-1 aggregate win over Rangers saw them reach the quarter-finals of a European competition for the first time in their history.