Connor Barron has provided insight into the Rangers dressing room following their disappointing exit from the Champions League at the hands of Dynamo Kyiv. The Scottish side saw their dreams of reaching the league stage—and the £40 million windfall that comes with it—dashed after succumbing to two late goals in the second leg of the second qualifying phase.
Philippe Clement has been candid about the financial impact of the loss, but for the players, the sting of missing out on such a major competition was just as severe. Barron shared that the squad took the defeat hard and convened to analyze what went wrong.
“It hurt us all in the dressing room,” Barron admitted. “The boys knew how much this meant, not only to us as players but to the fans and the club as well. For a lot of the boys who have been here before, it was a familiar, painful situation. Everyone was picking each other up after the game.”
Barron emphasized the importance of bouncing back quickly in football, noting that dwelling on past disappointments can hinder future performances. “Football is a quick-moving sport, and you’ve got to move on quickly,” he said. “We’ve had a meeting to go over things, and now it’s about getting back to the training pitch and moving forward.”
With the Champions League no longer an option, Rangers will need to refocus their efforts on the domestic front and other European competitions as they look to rebound from this early setback.