Barry Ferguson told Danilo, “I’d prefer my players to be like that,” following the Brazilian’s fiery reaction in the dugout during the match against Fenerbahce.
Danilo, who was back in the Europa League lineup, appeared ready for action as Vaclav Cerny received a massage during extra time against Jose Mourinho’s team. However, he suddenly jumped up and informed Rangers boss Ferguson that he wasn’t coming off the field. This led to Danilo expressing his frustration with a series of punches on the bench, as captured by TNT Sports.
The Light Blues lost 2-0 on the night, forcing the match into extra time. With no further goals, the game ended 3-3 on aggregate, sending it to penalties. Jack Butland emerged as the hero for Rangers, who will now face Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of this weekend’s Celtic clash, Ferguson addressed the incident during a media briefing, saying, “You’ve probably seen it. I thought he had cramped up and was done. I got the message that was the case. I saw him getting rubbed down on the pitch, but when I spoke to him, his attitude was, ‘No, I’m not coming off.’”
“He’s been a real danger for us. He was ready to go, and it was the right decision because he scored one of the penalties. The incident with Danilo was an expression of anger, but I’d rather my players show that. A bit of fire is what I want to see. Don’t be content if you’re not playing— that’s how football works.”
“It was a chaotic moment, especially in the final 15 minutes of extra time, but he managed to get through it and convert his penalty.”
On midfielder Nico Raskin, who has impressed recently, Ferguson shared his pride after the player was called up to the Belgium squad. He jokingly said it was a result of the work he’s done with Raskin since his arrival. However, Ferguson believes Raskin still has more potential to unlock.
He said, “I saw Nico and joked that I’ve made the difference in just two and a half weeks! When I first came in, he had a lot of great attributes, but there were areas he needed to improve. He’s open to that, and I like that. It’s the same for many of my players. I’ll work with them individually. Nico has had a good run of games, staying injury-free, and I’m delighted for him.”
“But I want more. I believe there’s even more in him, and I’ll do everything I can to help him reach his full potential. He can go very far in the game.”
What Vaclav Cerny told Barry Ferguson before Rangers substitution U turn as Danilo anger defended
