Glamour friendlies aranged for pre-season

Last updated : 28 May 2002 By www.followfollow.com
Both sides coming to Ibrox
Both sides coming to Ibrox
Rangers will take on both Leeds United and AC Milan in glamour friendlies at Ibrox this summer.

Leeds United travel to Glasgow to face Rangers for the first time since 1992 on Wednesday, August 7. Before that however Italian giants AC Milan and Rino Gattuso come to Irbox on Sunday, 28 July before the Rangers side travels to Belfast to take on Linfield.

Rangers director-secretary Campbell Ogilvie arranged the meeting with AC Milan the day before the Champions League final at Hampden Park when European football's powerful G14 lobbying group met at Ibrox.

He said "I spoke with organisational director Umberto Gandini who was representing Milan at the G14 meeting and he indicated that AC would be very keen to come here.

"We have been trying to bring Milan to Ibrox for a few years now but we had been unable to do so because we had been starting our season so early, both domestically and in Europe.

"In previous years we have been involved in European qualifiers in July, while the SPL has also started at the end of the month.

"The SPL does not start until August 3 next season and we are not involved in Europe until September 19, which has enabled us to bring teams of the calibre of Milan and Leeds to Ibrox.

"They are both hugely attractive opponents and I'm sure our supporters will relish the opportunity to watch Rangers in action against them.

"Umberto Gandini was very impressed when he looked round the stadium earlier this month and he has promised that a full-strength squad will be coming to Ibrox even though so many of the Milan players are involved in the World Cup finals."