Smith suspicious of Hateley sending off- 17 years ago

Rangers boss Walter Smith believes that ‘something wasn’t right’ about his side’s 1992/93 Champions League exit to Marseille.

Less than a fortnight after Scottish referees went on strike for various reported reasonsComments 2 Smith has speculated that Polish referee Rysard Wojcik may have contributed to Rangers downfall.

The Marseilles team that finished ahead of Rangers in the Champions League group were stripped of the French title over match fixing allegations but were allowed to retain their Champions League crown after beating AC Milan in the final.

Rangers drew twice with the French champions but lost out by two points on a place in the final.

Most of the suspicions on the group centred on Marseilles 6-0 home win over CSKA Moscow who drew 0-0 with Rangers three weeks later in their final group match.

But preparing for tonight’s match with Bursanspor Smith looked back at that campaign with regret suggesting that not everything was above board.

“Marseille in 92-93 does still grate a wee bit,” the Rangers boss admitted. “That was a chance for Rangers to make a European Cup Final.

“It was frustrating at the time and then afterwards we found out something of what that club had been up to. We had an opportunity to get to the final if we had won in France – and we very nearly did in the game that finished 1-1.

“It would have been huge but we did manage the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 and that was great.

“I met the CSKA Moscow manager a few years after that season and he told me a few things. But we did not need to be told – it had already come out what happened with Bernard Tapie and Marseille.

“We had Mark Hateley sent off at home to Bruges and I could never quite get my head around that. There was a kick-out from the keeper, Mark went up for a header and the next thing I knew he was red-carded and out of the game in Marseille. That didn’t sit right with me.”

Highly respected Polish referee Wojcik was in charge of the Rangers-Brugge match made famous by Scott Nisbet’s freak goal.

Wojcik later went on to referee at the 1998 Wold Cup Finals and took charge of the 1999 Super Cup between Manchester United and Lazio which the Italian club won 1-0.

Despite their suspicions about Tapie Rangers and Marseilles were involved in a number of transfer deals throughout the 90s.

A year after losing out to the French club Rangers pad £4m to bring defender Basil Boli to Ibrox.

In 1991 Trevor Steven was sold to Marseilles for £6m then bought back the following year for half of that fee.

Tonight’s match with Bursanspor gives Smith the chance to match Gordon Strachan’s Scottish Champions League record of seven victories.

Amongst the teams beaten by the former Celtic manager were past winners AC Milan, Manchester United and Benfica (twice).

Neil Lennon-10 years at Celtic

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