although given the structure of the competition meant Steaua Bucharest only had to beat Club Bruges over two legs to get there
that hardly compares to what Unirea Urziceni will achieve if they avoid defeat away to Stuttgart tonight
Making it through to the knockout stage would be an achievement for any Romanian club
Urziceni is a town of 17,000 inhabitants in Romania's south-east
its name effectively translating as "nettle town"
has a capacity of 7,000 – and that only after major upgrade work in 2002 – meaning they have had to play their home games in the Champions League at Steaua's stadium
They only won promotion to the third division for the first time in 2003
and promotion to the top flight did not arrive until 2006
but the arrival of Dan Petrescu as coach and the former Steaua Bucharest president Mihai Stoica galvanised them and they finished 10th
and the year after that they won the title
This season they are one of three teams level on points at the top in a tight race in which the top six sides are separated by two points
The natural temptation is to assume a general mediocrity
but Unirea's results in Europe – most striking a 4-1 away win at Rangers and a 1-0 home victory over Sevilla – suggest genuine quality
for the long-term good of Romanian football
it is probably a positive sign that power is no longer concentrated in the hands of the Bucharest grandees
After Universitatea Craiova won the title in 1981
25 of the following 26 titles went to clubs from the capital
and at the moment the league is led on goal difference by Timisoara
The decentralisation that was always likely to follow the end of one-party rule is at last under way
and the green shoots suggested by the performances of Steaua and Dinamo in the Uefa Cup four seasons ago are beginning to sprout
Unirea's is not a success based on money – or at least not solely on money
Of course they have benefited from recent investment from Valahorum
a company run by the entrepreneur Dumitru Bucsaru who is a close friend of the national president
and made his fortune buying unfinished apartment blocks from the state after the 1989 revolution
but this is a team carefully constructed and intelligently led by Petrescu
rather than being based around mercenary foreign stars
Their squad contains just six non-Romanians
the Argentinian left-sided midfielder Pablo Brandán
seems certain to leave in January having received offers from Bundesliga clubs
"Of course I dream of playing in a stronger league after two marvellous seasons in Romania," he said
"But I want to do this only after I see my team through to the last 16
"Remember that nobody believed we could beat Rangers away but we did so through our spirit and good football
Then to beat Sevilla at home is a great achievement for any team
But the last step is to get a result in Stuttgart
They will attack us because they need to win
so we will try to surprise them with fast and strong counter-attacks
the Brazilian holding midfielder Ricardo Gomes
may not play tonight having picked up a knock in Friday's 3-2 win at Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt
is also doubtful and his fellow centre-back
"It will be hard for me to stay and watch from the stands," said Maftei
"but I know how determined my team-mates are and I'm ready to bet that we will take at least a point
It will not be easy because the Germans will feel the drama of this more than us
From the beginning they were one of the favourites and everybody saw in us only an easy opportunity to win points
Now they understand that Unirea are able to play against any team with great heart
and that big win in Glasgow makes us very confident that we can qualify to play in the Champions League in the spring."
but a couple of niggles over personnel seems routine compared to the upheaval at Stuttgart
on Sunday after a 1-1 draw at home to Bochum that left them in the relegation zone
who may be derided in Britain following his unsuccessful time at Tottenham but he led Basle to four Swiss titles before leaving the club in May
Petrescu is wary of the effect the change may have
"Anybody who believes the sacking of Babbel is good for us does not understand football," he said
"The arrival of a new coach is always very dangerous for the next opponent
because the players have a special motivation to show him their potential
and everybody knows you can't write off the Germans
to come back to life after some poor performances
It will be harder if don't have Galamaz and Ricardo back
but we know that we have the armoury to achieve a good result
We definitely won't go to close the game down and play with nine or 10 men in defence because to do so is to risk conceding a goal in the dying moments
despite all the problems with the national team
CSKA Moscow last night became the first eastern European side to reach the last 16 since Lokomotiv in 2003
and Uefa this morning confirmed that they will not be kicked out of the competition after the defenders Sergei Ignashevich and Alexei Berezutski failed drug tests following their side's 3-3 draw away to Manchester United last month
their recent form offers crushing evidence that the drugs don't work
confirmation of the test results would cap a dreadful year for Russian football in which at least one top-flight game is widely believed to have been fixed – as one journalist said
"they're not even bothering to fix them well these days" – and the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup amid allegations that players had been out until the early hours the night before their play-off against Slovenia
who could themselves make it to the last 16 if they beat Internazionale tonight
or draw while scoring two or more goals and Dynamo Kyiv – who themselves have an outside chance of qualification – don't beat Barcelona
will be without the centre-forward Alexander Bukharov
who has been in outstanding form but has succumbed to a knee problem
By MARK WILSON FOR MAILONLINE at Ibrox Updated: 00:35 BST
It is one thing when the millionaires of the game roll into town to brutalise your Champions League ambitions
When the gruesome damage is inflicted by supposed minnows
then the worst fears about the current status of Scottish football are all too horribly realised
On a night of unmitigated disaster for Rangers
the reigning SPL champions and current top-flight leaders were decimated by a Romanian side few in this country knew anything about before the draw for Group G was made
The crushing and embarrassing nature of the defeat
inflicted after a deflected strike from Pedro Mendes had actually put them in front inside two minutes
places it among the very worst of the Ibrox club’s 53-year European history
Walter Smith’s side simply had no answer to the nimble movement of their little-heralded visitors and offered scant resistance to prevent a humiliation on their own turf
Allan McGregor tells Steven Whittaker to get a grip after Urziceni's equaliser
Salvaging even third place in a section initially greeted as favourable may well require a remarkable revival when they visit Bucharest for the return tie in a fortnight’s time
On the deeply depressing evidence of last night
only those with money to burn amid a recession would wager on such an outcome
After Marius Bilasco had cancelled out Mendes’ opener
Steven Davis then saw a penalty saved by Daniel Tudor before the interval
Whether that would have made a substantial difference to the outcome is highly debatable given the nature of what followed
Bruno Fernandes put Unirea in front shortly after the restart
before an own goal from Lee McCulloch and a Pablo Brandan strike completed this darkest of evenings for Rangers
Depths of despair: McCulloch's header flies past McGregor for the second Unirea goal
A mere 17,000 people inhabit the little town of Urziceni
which is probably still more than waited around inside Ibrox to witness the final few minutes of the capitulation of their side
Dan Petrescu’s men had romped to their 4-1 lead with 25 minutes still to play
as the stadium positively crackled with the incandescent anger of anguished supporters
This was a second successive Champions League defeat Rangers have suffered by the same crippling margin
that Unirea are the equivalent of Sevilla and the boos that rained down throughout the second half told their own story
those fans who had stuck it out to the bitter end applauded their opponents from the field
It had all seemed very different after just 85 seconds when Jerome Rothen floated a corner to the edge of the area and Mendes took a touch before his shot looped off Ricardo Vilana and into the net
a free-kick from the Portuguese midfielder found the head of Kenny Miller — who arched his back to send a decent attempt fractionally too high
can scarcely take on board their humiliating defeat by Unirea
failed to seize the initiative following their prompt breakthrough and found themselves shuttling between Romanian players as they were unsettled by Unirea’s unusual 3-4-3 formation
Petrescu had removed the hapless Epaminonda Nicu after only 18 minutes
with the former Chelsea player angrily patrolling his technical area to urge greater attacking effort
Tiberiu Balan incurred his wrath after miskicking a pristine 12-yard opportunity to equalise
before only an outstanding recovery challenge from McCulloch prevented Bilasco from homing in on Allan McGregor
with Miller delaying a shot too long after a fine surge by Davis and Steven Naismith narrowly failing to convert a skidding cross from Sasa Papac
Yet the next telling blow would be struck at the opposite end — and it was at least partly self-inflicted
Rothen and Steven Whittaker dozed as Brandan marauded down the left flank for Unirea before sliding a low cross along the edge of the six-yard box
It was too inviting an opening for Bilasco to spurn and he coolly finished to send Ibrox into uproar at the shoddiness on show
All white on the night: Urziceni's Marius Ioan Bilasco scores his sides first goal
A reprieve was offered a mere five minutes later when David Weir met Rothen’s free-kick with a downward header that struck the arm of Fernandes
Dutch referee Eric Braamhaar immediately pointed to the spot — to ensure no repeat of the spot-kick fury against Sevilla — but it was to no avail for the Ibrox outfit
Davis stepped up after a nerve-squeezing delay and saw his strike to Tudor’s right blocked out by the goalkeeper
Troubled times: Davis' penalty is beaten away by Romanian keeper Tudor
it was hard to argue with the selection of the Northern Ireland midfielder as the taker
but it was at a nice height for Tudor to pull off a creditable save
presumably still suffering after an earlier knock to his knee
was replaced at half-time by Kyle Lafferty
It may have given Rangers a more attacking shape but they were immediately placed on the back foot by a Unirea side swollen with belief that the game was theirs for the taking
McGregor made a superb flying save to deny a blunderbuss shot from Bilasco three minutes after the restart
but it provided only a temporary delay from further agony
The resulting corner found its way to Iulian Apostol
whose low cross was backflicked towards goal by Fernandes
The last touch came off a helpless Lafferty’s left leg and bounced into the net off the inside of the post
Smith’s side looked shellshocked by that concession and stumbled through a nightmare period that might well have blown their Champions League hopes clean out of the water
Naismith was booked for a foul on Apostol after 59 minutes and the Ibrox defence once more crumbled at the resulting set-piece
Balan flighted the free-kick into the area and McCulloch headed into his own net beyond a despairing McGregor
Apostol backheeled the ball to Brandan in a smart free-kick routine and the Argentine thundered a low strike beyond the defensive wall and off Naismith for
Ibrox resounded to the fury with supporters scarcely able to believe the rout they were witnessing
As hapless going forward as they were in defence
there was no rally to salvage even a modicum of pride for Rangers
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the club that beat Rangers 4-1 at Ibrox in the Champions League two years ago
have been closed down after their owner lost interest
low-achieving side from a town of 20,000 people
rose to prominence in 2002 after being bought by the businessman Dumitru Bucsaru
they were in the top flight being managed by the ex-Chelsea player Dan Petrescu
famous in Romania for having only one regular away fan
beat the established sides and won the title
setting a Champions League points record for a Romanian club
earning Bucsaru an estimated €20m (£18m) in the process
Then came the twist. As Radu Baicu of scoutingromania.com writes: "Bucsaru realised the only way for Unirea now was downwards
so quitting while he was ahead made perfect sense."
Bucsaru launched his exit strategy: selling off the best of the squad and
after defeat to Liverpool in the Europa League
authorities confirmed Bucsaru had walked away
leaving behind a shell of a club with a tax debt of €1.5m
Fixtures and fittings are being sold off to help cover that – including the turnstiles
Gazeta Sporturilor described Bucsaru's brief reign as "like an enormous prank"
while Urziceni's mayor said he was powerless to salvage their 57-year-old club
It would take three times our annual budget."
As for the fan response: the Lonely Wolf – real name Leonard Constantin – says he will find a way to move on
America's gay sport scene has been plunged into an existential crisis after accusations of heterosexuality spiralled into a three-year court case
were thrown out of the 2008 Gay Softball World Series after five members of their team were ruled "non-gay" by officials
While each team was allowed two heterosexuals
D2's inclusion of a further three bisexual players triggered accusations of cheating
one player admitted being married to a woman
another answered yes to both gay and heterosexual definitions
and a third was told: "This is not the Bisexual World Series." The three are claiming more than $75,000 each in damages for emotional distress
while the National Gay Amateur Athletic Association is "redefining its approach to inclusion"
PR news: the Canadian Football League side Toronto Argonauts have pulled promotional material after a city councillor claimed its slogan
was to promote the CFL's least-watched side
"We were trying to depict the toughness of the game," said CEO Bob Nicholson
"I never dreamed this is how people would take it."
Sportsmen talk of acting when it comes to the crunch and missing the buzz when it all ends
But Frank Schleck was happy to put the two behind him when a bee (or a wasp
he couldn't tell) flew into his mouth during the Tour de France's team time trial
The Luxembourger tweeted: "Had a funny day
hit a camera and cut my nose then swallowed a bee that stung me after 5km in the TTT
This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025
The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media
then bear in mind that there's also Fulham's adventure in Shakhtar Donestsk of which to keep track
The classy Ukranians have got to be favourites but there can be no denying that Roy Hodgson has excelled to haul Fulham this far and another surprising feat may not be beyond the Cottagers – in fact
if Rafa were to part company with Liverpool any time soon
Hodgson wouldn't be the worst choice to succeed him
(It is interesting at this point to ponder who would be the worst choice – Graeme Souness
5:40pm: "The worst possible replacement for Rafa?" muses Guy Miri
"That would be Sammy Lee." Meanwhile
5:48pm: Paul Ince has arrived in an ESPN studio hitherto occupied by Ray Stubbs and Clive Allen
"The traffic was terrible." Sort it out
5:50pm: Rafa has just been interviewed on TV and disclosed that Glen Johnson will be back in action next week
He said some other things too but I've already forgotten them
which reminds of a question that I would like an answer to
Why do they say the price of the the car in digits rather than a complete number
ONE FIVE NINE NINE NINE rather than fifteen thousand nine hundred and ninety nine pounds
Is it because they're paying for the ad by-the-second and it's quicker that way
Or is it because they think the first way makes it sound cheaper
5:55pm: "As i pondered the worst possible replacement for Rafa," begins Connor Hurley
"Paul Ince ambled into the studio ..."
5:57pm: An early victory for Liverpool as Steve Gerrard wins the toss - is there no end to Captain Marvel's heroics? "I wonder if 'sorry I'm late, the traffic was terrrible' was what Paul Ince said to Duncan Ferguson after this exchange?" coughs Mac Millings
Apologising to Duncan Ferguson is always a wise option
1 min: The Romanians kick off and instantaly boot the ball into touch
2 mins: Apostol loftsw a freekick into the Liverpool box from 40 yards
who sends a reasonable effort spinning over the bar
from a typical Gerrard swirler from 20 yards
who had picked out his captain with a snappy low pass from midfield
6 mins: Frunzal fires a corner towards Fernandes at the neat post
8 mins: Galamaz slides in to prevent babel from latching onto to a long ball into the left channel from Insua
apparently during last night's press conference
Romanian journalists were giving Benitez guff about his weight
Could it be that we have found a press pack even more savage than the English one
a game being played at a very pedestrian pace
Unirea do try to step things up a bit when they have the ball
but Liverpool have had most possession and seemingly are content to
12 mins: Skrtel heads a corner clear at the near post
is that Fulham are being totally overrun and a home goal looks inevitable ..
15 mins: Liverpool have spent the last few minutes knocking the ball around in the Romanian half without threatening to penetrate
The pace is slow and there is seldom many options for the man on the ball
17 mins: This is turning into a gruelling test of endurance for spectators ..
Onofras crept behind the Liverpool defence to pick up a long ball over the top
but Carragher got back well to stick it behind for a corner
Unirea 1-0 Liverpool (Fernandes 19') Well that's spiced things up
Fernandes rose unmarked about 10 yards out to send a powerful header into the net
20 mins: A pause in play as a Unirea player receives treatment after attacking Babel's elbow with his jaw
and not one that the ref shares: he's booked Babel
"I'd love to see 'Arry Redknapp take charge of Liverpool," chortles John T
"Just to watch him blow 40 mil to bring back Crouch and Keane." How about Redknapp's former assistant at Bournemouth
At least that wouldn't entail a radical change of playing style
23 mins: Gerrard curls a vicious freekick towards the back post
"Ye gods this is grim fare," wails Phil Sawyer
"I feel like whistling in derision myself
Do Benitez's training sessions simply involve making the players watch lots and lots of videos of Ray Wilkins passing it sideways?"
while Unirea only have 10 players on the pitch because Galamaz is injured
"I've been disappointed," mourns Chris Waddle on ESPN
"Liverpool are deserving what they get here." He's not wrong
26 mins: Decent possession play from Liverpool but with 10 Unirea players in front of them at all time they fail to make much inroads
and as soon as they do get near the home box
Ngog commits a dumb foul to gift a freekick to the opposition
Galamaz hobbling off to be replaced by Mehmedovic
29 mins: Onofras booked for bringing down Babel after the winger had skipped past him
I make that the 76000th freekick of this fragmented game
Unirea 1-1 Liverpool (Mascherano 30') Carragher chugged down the right and sent a deep cross beyond the back post
whose reactions were sluggish and allowed Unirea to scramble it out to the edge of the box
Mascherano surged on to it and spanked it into the net
He totally flummoxed his marker to weave his way into the box
I'm told that Mark Schwarzer is playing a stormer in Ukraine
where Fulham are clinging on to their first-leg lead
33 mins: Fernandes booked for barging into the back of Ngog
35 mins: With a feeble bobbler from 35 yards
37 mins: Onofras's shot from 20 yards is deflected over by Skrtel
Ngog missed it at the near post and it bounced across the face of goal before Insua put it behind for another one
37 mins: Paduretu shows classy technique to control a 25-yard volley
The keeper looked less clever from the ensuing corner
Unirea 1-2 Liverpool (Babel 40') He's played well so far and that was a lovely finish from seven yards
He controlled a Gerrard freekick beautifully and then instantly whacked the ball into the net
43 mins: Frunza wallops the ball over the bar from 20 yards
"Your question as to who's the worst person to take over the manager's job at Liverpool is an easy one," reckons Phil Sawyer
And then after eleven straight losses step back again."
44 mins: Confusion in the home defence as Fernandes and Arlauskis leave an Insua cross to each other
If there had been a Liverpool player on hand
"Hello from Dubai!" booms Mike Poole
"I am watching this in the Falkland Islands." Is that a joke I don't get
two former Liverpool players have scored: Riise for Roma
45+1 mins: Freekick to Unirea as Carragher clumsily crashes into Frunza
Insua heads out and Onofras's volley from 20 yards dribbles wide
Half-time: It would take (a) a miracle (b) preposterous bungling or (c) overt corruption for Liverpool not to win this now
"Could it be that the Dubai/Falklands guy is in Dubai on the Falkland Islands in that development of man-made islands resembling the countries of the world?" quizzes Gareth Evans
unsure if there is a Falklands in that development
as from a scale point of view it could be somewhat small."
"That Mascherano goal ..." blurts Nath Jones
is the footballing expression of the infinite monkey theorem."
"I'd guess that Falklands bloke is convinced that the oil that has supposedly been found down there is going to make them all millionaires," explains Mark Taylor
"Then they can buy the tea shop."
52 mins: Unirea players surround the ref to protest agaisnt his decision to give Liverpool a freekick just outside the box for handball
The keeper pushes Gerrard's low drive around the post
54 mins: Much ado in the Unirea box as they struggle to clear a Benayoun corner
Eventually they scramble it out for another one
but before it can be taken Arlauskis hurtles over to the ref to complain about something or other
"I believe there are plans for British oil companies to fund the building of islands near the Falklands," baahs Ian Copestake
"They will be in the shape of sheep."
Unirea 1-3 Liverpool (Gerrard 57') Benayoun made it with one of his rolling runs into the box
who slammed it into the net with the aid of a deflection
but I make that eight lulls in the match so far
61 mins: Card-magnet Mascherano attracts another yellow one
63 mins: Apparently Fulham are well in charge of the game in Ukraine now
64 mins: Skrtel rolls around in obvious anguish following a full-blooded but fair challenge with Semedo
69 mins: Semedo scurries into the box and slips the ball to Marinescu
70 mins: A spirited death rattle from the Romanians: they're applying a helter-skelter sort of pressure to the Liverpool goal
insofar as the ball is pinging around the box a bit
Shakhtar 1-1 Fulham (Jadson 69') Fulham lead 3-2 on aggregate
73 mins: Liverpool are simply going through the motions now
aware that their passage to the next round is secure
75 mins: Boooooring. "Rafa's replacement?" begins Daniel McSweeney. "For his subtle approach to the reasoned halftime address, surely it's time to give John Sitton a shot." And if he doesn't want the Anfield gig
"You seem to be apologising for the game and suggesting we'll all leave if it is boring," notes Robin Hazlehurst
"But we can't see how bad it looks and are happy to stay with your commentary just for the chat (or craic even)
whereas if you describe the game as a real cracker everyone will sod off to the pub to watch it
I'd have thought a boring game is good for you
or at least for your traffic figures." Exactly
80 mins: Freekick to Unirea because Insua hauled back Semedo
Said freekick is cleared in unremarkable fashion
"I'm happy Liverpool are winning," reveals Brian Cruickshank
This trip through the depths of the Europa SHOULD BE a humbling experince that we learn and grow from." You think Roma would be more daunting
They're currently losing 3-2 at home to a Djibril Cissse-inspired Panathinaikos ...
82 mins: Liverpool rumble forward with some decent approach play
His performance has probably been the msot encouraging feature of this evening for Liverpool
Insua gets to the rebound firstr to thwart Paduretu
Another positive.Not that that's likely to impress Ian Edgar
"This chap Babel has been awful since we paid stupid money for him," whines Ian
"His attempts to leave have failed and suddenly he's having a couple of good games
I wonder when his contract is due for renewal
At least Riera gives 100% every time."
forcing a rudimentary save from the keeper
Full-time: After slack defending from a corner lead to them falling behind on the night
to re-assert their superiority and cruise to victory
The much maligned Babel and Lucas played well
and other than that it was an utterly unremarkable event
are poised to pull off one of the best results in their history ..
"Just to couner what Ian Edgar said," chips in Grame Thorn just in time
"I was at the home game last week and Riera started but had no confidence to run with the ball - each time he got the ball
his thought was to pass backwards or sideways
At least when Babel came on he ran with the ball (and set up the goal
Danny Murphy won't feature in the next round because he got himself sent off in the last minute
Valencia and Atlético Madrid could not be taken lightly and Liverpool did not have to encounter a leading European light to accept that their manager was right
Only when Ryan Babel and Daniel Pacheco emerged from the substitutes' bench and combined late on for Ngog to head home from close range did the anxiety dissipate around Liverpool's first appearance at this level for six years. The narrow victory will ensure Unirea show more commitment to attack next Thursday and Liverpool will be confident of exploiting the gaps
Having hauled themselves back into contention for next season's Champions League through spirited resistance in recent weeks
this performance showed Liverpool are not equipped to take a great leap forward as an attacking force just yet
certainly not while Fernando Torres remains on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery
Unirea may have been relative unknowns but were never likely to be walkovers
The Romanian champions were effectively starting anew at Anfield
having lost the coach who guided them to impressive Champions League wins over Sevilla and Glasgow Rangers in the first half of this season
and several key players since last playing a competitive fixture back on 14 December
Unirea handed possession to Ngog straight from the kick-off and within 26 seconds their goalkeeper
was required to make the first save of the night
reacting well to Steven Gerrard's placed effort towards the top corner after Fabio Aurelio and Dirk Kuyt had combined to send the Liverpool captain clear
A long night on the back foot appeared to beckon for a team who prepared for this date with a 1-0 win at Northwich Victoria on Monday but the opening proved deceptive
Benítez had set the correct tone for a competition that will not be derided at Liverpool should they advance towards the final in Hamburg in May by fielding a strong side
There was no evidence of a preoccupation with Sunday's vital league game at Manchester City in the manager's selection and his side responded accordingly
Kuyt dragged another opening wide of the far post and Gerrard sent Albert Riera's cross off target when picked out for a free header inside the area
Those missed opportunities gave credence to Benítez's pre-match assertion that patience would be required against opponents whose virtues lay in defence
On the first two occasions the visitors ventured into the Liverpool half they opted to release possession as quickly as possible
Sorin Frunza ignoring his team-mates in favour of rolling a hopeless free-kick at Reina and Marius Onofras deciding it was somehow a good idea to attempt to beat a goalkeeper of the Spaniard's calibre with a gentle punt from the halfway line
All of which brought frustration to the surface the longer the contest remained scoreless
Despite Gerrard's probing and movement behind Ngog
Riera's inconsistent forays on the left and dominating possession to a greater degree than they have in months
Liverpool struggled to find a way behind the Romanian defence
Indeed the longer the tie wore on the more it appeared Liverpool's early superiority was a result of a gulf in match fitness and not
Gerrard and Martin Skrtel all went close in the second half but it took the introduction of Babel for Riera and the highly rated Pacheco to give Liverpool the cutting edge that was seriously lacking
Babel picked out the former Barcelona youth graduate with a left-wing cross
Pacheco headed back across goal and the lurking Ngog duly converted
When Lee McCulloch netted with only 11 minutes remaing the Scottish champions thought they had secured a crucial victory that would have resurrected their campaign. But Rangers were denied their first win of the tournament when substitute Marius Onofras levelled for the Romanians two minutes from time
Rangers remain bottom of Group G and now face difficult games against Stuttgart at home and a trip to Sevilla
"The pressure is on us to win our games
that's what we have to do," said Smith
"That's what makes it so disappointing to lose a late goal
At least we acquitted ourselves in a better manner than the first game
which was as poor a performance as we have had in Europe since I came back."
A 4-1 defeat by Unirea at Ibrox two weeks ago put a massive dent in Rangers' hopes ahead of this game and Smith was at least pleased to see a marked improvement from his players
He said: "I don't think we had weak points tonight
Our weakest point was our overall performance in the last game
But I think tonight we showed we can play better than we did do in Scotland."
But he admits Rangers have ultimately made life difficult for themselves by failing to hang on for the victory
He said: "We played very well tonight and after getting in the lead in the manner we did do and then to give it up so late in the game was very disappointing
after getting ourselves back into the section in terms of qualification
we have made it even more difficult for us by giving away a bad goal in the last few minutes."
One major positive as far as Smith was concerned was the performance of 17-year-old Champions League debutant Danny Wilson
who produced an excellent performance in the centre of defence
He said: "I'm pleased with the way he has handled the situation since coming into the team
it's his third game and for a boy of 17 it speaks volumes for him that he has managed to handle it so well."
Unirea boss Dan Petrescu was unhappy at not taking all three points from a match he believed his side deserved to win
"Tonight we created chances and their keeper made a lot of saves
I don't think the result was correct," insisted the former Chelsea player
"Rangers did better than they did in the first game
they created chances and played some good football
Rangers chief executive Martin Bain tonight condemned the "unacceptable" behaviour of some of the Glasgow club's travelling fans during the Champions League match against Unirea Urziceni in Bucharest
However Bain was also critical of the Romanian police tactics and poor organisation at the Steaua Stadium
There was unrest as Rangers fans attempted to enter the stadium before kick-off
while reports suggested some away supporters ripped up seats during the match
Bain claimed a promise that four turnstiles would be open for visiting fans was not kept
by police using CS gas against angered Light Blues' supporters
Bain said on Rangers' official website: "Obviously the behaviour of some of the fans inside the stadium was unacceptable and no-one likes to see that
what was equally unacceptable was the fact that Rangers came to this stadium with representatives from UEFA and Unirea a number of weeks ago and arranged for the four turnstiles to be open to give access to our supporters
"When they arrived this evening there were only two turnstiles open which caused difficulty gaining access and fans then to be sprayed with CS gas is totally unacceptable
I will now make representation to UEFA in their behalf."
only to be soured by a travelling support whose tendency towards delinquency is seemingly incurable
The Ibrox side's heavy home defeats by Sevilla and Unirea Urziceni – each by an embarrassing 4-1 – have been countered by two unbeaten trips to Stuttgart and Bucharest. But the latest of their 1-1 draws, in the Romanian capital last Wednesday, will, very likely, result in punitive measures from the Uefa disciplinary committee
The governing body, having charged Rangers with "the improper conduct of their supporters"
will deliberate the episode on Wednesday and have hinted at a heavy sentence as a consequence of the club's record in this area
The 'yellow sheet' does not encourage hope of leniency
They have been fined more than £30,000 for the unacceptable behaviour of their fans in Villarreal in 2006 and away to Osasuna the following year
They were also fortunate not to suffer at Uefa's hands for the rioting of their fans in Manchester during last year's Uefa Cup final
Because the mayhem occurred in the city centre
rather than the City of Manchester Stadium
the football authorities regarded it was a civic matter
conviction and punishment to the police and magistrates
They are unlikely to be merciful in the wake of supporters' charging at stewards and ripping out and hurling seats
Unirea may also be in bother for opening two
claimed had contributed to the tension inside the ground
But the host club's offence will be viewed with nothing like the seriousness of that of the visitors
"Rangers will be charged over the improper conduct of their supporters," said a spokesman
the background of the club involved is taken into account."
Predictably after Bain's ill-advised utterances – he had tried to direct culpability for the disorder at the local stewards and police – nobody at Ibrox has been prepared to comment on an event that few
But it is believed there is a growing conviction within the club that the most appropriate and
most helpful action Uefa could take would be to ban Rangers fans from travelling to European games
This would save the club a fine they can ill afford and release them from the anxiety they experience
as a consequence of their supporters' appalling record of misbehaviour
Influential voices inside Ibrox also believe such prohibition could effect reform among fans
realise the extent of the damage done to their club by their criminality
the campaign in Group G has been at least as sickening as the scuffling at the Steaua Stadium in Bucharest
needing to win their last two matches – at home to VfB Stuttgart and away to Sevilla – to retain even a gossamer-thin chance of reaching the knockout phase
"The frustrating thing," said Smith
"has been the decent standard we have achieved away from home
while falling so spectacularly on our own ground
We haven't managed even the fundamentals of keeping the ball and passing to a team-mate in our home games
The Stuttgart goalkeeper jumped over the advertising hoardings and looked as if he was relieving himself before being interrupted by a Romanian counter-attack
Luckily for Lehmann, the referee, Viktor Kassai, did not see the incident and could not book the former Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper for leaving the pitch without permission. And, while the Stuttgart management has told Lehmann he should have been given a yellow card
there was praise from the club's director of sport
for how the 40-year-old dealt with the situation
"I thought he handled it very expertly," he said
He could hardly run into the dressing room while play was going on and it reminded me of the Tour de France – sometimes there are simply no options."
Lehmann is not the first sportsman or woman to encounter problems when needing a toilet break during an event and Paula Radcliffe famously squatted down and relieved herself on the streets of London during the 2005 marathon
She still won the race by more than five minutes
The French golfer Benjamin Herbert caused a stir at the Open at Birkdale in 2008 when he walked off the sixth fairway to take a leak – one French spectator saying he had "disgraced the nation" – while the US forward DaMarcus Beasley furtively urinated next to the bench while waiting to come on against Mexico at the 2002 World Cup
has announced he is retiring at the end of the season but – as could be expected – he is refusing to go quietly
This week he accused the Stuttgart management of giving into "pubescent fans" when they sacked Markus Babbel as manager and he has already clashed with ball-boys and his team-mate Khalid Boulahrouz this season
ripping the sweat band off the Dutchman's head following a mistake
Lehmann did not comment on his decision to leave the pitch during the game against Unirea Urziceni
saying only: "I was more nervous than I have been for a long time."
will invest EUR 35 million in its third production unit of synthetic fiber made 100 percent from recycled material
on the former industrial platform of ROFEP
having a production capacity of 30,000 tonnes/year synthetic fiber
It will be functional starting the first quarter of 2017
the company is considering a new investment for doubling the Urziceni unit until 2018
so that at the end of the project the total production capacity of GreenFiber International to be 113,000 tonnes/year
taking into account also the operations of the other units from Buzau and Iasi
The factory will having a continuous activity, creating workplaces for the citizens, as well as neighbouring localities. Following the completion of the Urziceni project, GreenFiber will have over 1,000 employees in Romania.
the opening of the new unit was possible only as a result of a previous investment having the role of improving the high flows of stocks
a part of the sum being allocated to the functional infrastructure of collecting for clean PET waste and volume growth
we increased the operational capacities of the lines that process the waste before reaching GreenFiber in flake form,” said Clement Hung
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Three English Premier League sides face tough away tests in the second leg of their Europa League round-of-32 matches tonight as they look to protect precarious single-goal leads
Everton and Fulham are all one goal up following the first matches of the competition's knockout phase and for the two Merseyside clubs this remains the last chance of winning silverware this season
Rafael Benitez's side take a 1-0 lead to Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni
David Moyes's men are 2-1 up as they play away at Sporting Lisbon and Roy Hodgson's Fulham meet the winners of the last ever UEFA Cup
with the London side also taking a 2-1 lead to Ukraine
The Europa League would be something of a consolation prize for Liverpool after their group-stage elimination from the Champions League
but Reds manager Benitez knows he needs to win a trophy to quell growing supporter unrest as his side trail 16 points behind Chelsea in the Premier League
"When you win a European competition it is always very important," the Spaniard said
"If you cannot be in the Champions League
you have to do your best in this tournament and we would love to give a trophy to our fans
Liverpool's bitter rivals Everton are enjoying a mini-revival of late after beating domestic title challengers Chelsea and Manchester United in recent weeks
Toffees captain Phil Neville told Sky Sports that
while Everton's main priority is to qualify for Europe
the players want to win what would be the club's first honour since their 1995 FA Cup triumph
"We'd love to win a trophy," Neville said
"At the start of every season we look to win a trophy and for a club that's progressing like ours it's always the next step - this team's got to be winning trophies."
Juventus will hope to protect a 2-1 lead at home to Dutch giants Ajax
while PSV Eindhoven bid to overturn a 1-0 deficit at home to Ruud Van Nistelrooy's new club
Claudio Ranieri's Roma saw their 20-match unbeaten run come to an end when they lost their first-leg match against Greece's Panathinaikos 3-2
Roma's on-loan Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni is set to miss the game in the Italian capital with a calf problem
Bilbao (1-1); Marseille vs Copenhagen (3-1); Roma vs Panathinaikos (2-3); Galatasaray vs A
Urziceni vs Liverpool (0-1); PSV vs Hamburg (0-1)
21.05 kick-offs: Juventus vs Ajax (2-1); Valencia vs Bruges (0-1); S
Kazan (0-3); Wolfsburg vs Villarreal (2-2); Salzburg vs S
Bremen vs Twente (0-1); Fenerbahce vs Lille (1-2)
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