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SIMPLY THE WORST! Rangers boss Clement says referee’s decision to send off Jefte was craziest call he’s seen in his 30 years in football

SIMPLY THE WORST! Rangers boss Clement says referee’s decision to send off Jefte was craziest call he’s seen in his 30 years in football

Agony for Rangers as 2-0 defeat to Dynamo Kyiv at Hampden sees them crash out of Champions League and miss out on $40m jackpot Italian ref Marco Guida gave Brazilian a second yellow card in the 51st minute after aerial challenge … but Clement says it was ‘clearly not a foul’ Rangers boss accuses hapless official of ‘killing the dream’ for his players and the 50,000 home supporters in national stadium Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport 

Philippe Clement accused Italian referee Marco Guida of killing Rangers’ Champions League dream with the worst decision he has seen in his 30 years in football.

Reduced to ten men following the controversial dismissal of defender Jefte after 51 minutes, they were blown away by two goals in two minutes from Dynamo Kyiv substitutes Oleksandr Pikhalyonok and Nazar Voloshyn.

The Ibrox side now miss out on a £40million windfall as they drop into the Europa League group stage.

Clement disputed any suggestion of a flying arm from Jefte for his second yellow card as he leapt for the ball with Oleksandr Karavayev, and took to the pitch to remonstrate angrily with the offical at full-time. 

‘I’ve seen the images back. It’s clearly not a foul,’ said the Rangers boss. ‘He just jumps higher and that’s everything that happens.

‘It’s a very decisive moment and, in the end, it has killed the dream of a dressing room. It has killed the dream of more than 50,000 fans, and you expect a better level in decision-making, because this is, for me, the worst decision I’ve seen in more than 30 years.’

SIMPLY THE WORST! Rangers boss Clement says referee’s decision to send off Jefte was craziest call he’s seen in his 30 years in football

A furious Clement remonstrates with the Italian referee at full-time

Brazilian defender Jefte  was shown a second yellow card after this aerial challenge

Brazilian defender Jefte  was shown a second yellow card after this aerial challenge

Rangers boss Clement said there was clearly no foul on Karavayev of Dynamo Kyiv

Rangers boss Clement said there was clearly no foul on Karavayev of Dynamo Kyiv

Asked if he had received an explanation from the referee, he said: ‘No, I tried to.

‘He (Jefte) just jumps higher. He doesn’t move his arms next to his body. So it’s not a fault, it’s nothing.

‘To lose a player at that moment… I tried to understand the decision and to ask, but the referee stuck to his opinion. It was really a clear fault.

‘I have a lot of things in my head, but you guys know that every word I say is too much. I can get a ban for the next European game, so let’s keep things in my head.’

Victory would have secured a play-off tie with RB Salzburg and a payment of £4m. Qualification for the new league stage would have raked in around £40m, with Clement acknowledging the impact of defeat on his transfer budget in the final weeks of the window.

Referee Marco Guida shows the red  card as Karavayev writhes on the ground

Referee Marco Guida shows the red  card as Karavayev writhes on the ground

New Rangers defender Jefte reacts with disbelief to the referee's decision to send him off

New Rangers defender Jefte reacts with disbelief to the referee’s decision to send him off

Rangers boss Clement tries to console the player as he trudges off the pitch

Rangers boss Clement tries to console the player as he trudges off the pitch

‘If you go to the Champions League, you can do things faster, because there’s £40m coming into the club. That’s not the case now, so it will take more time. That’s the reality to do the things that you want to do, or the things that the club wants to do for the future.

‘It doesn’t mean that the story stops, of course, and you see it already. With young, exciting players coming into the club, making steps, and I don’t need to say all the names every time.’

Asked if Rangers would consider a formal protest to UEFA head of referees Roberto Rosetti, Clement was reluctant to risk further repercussions.

‘The club can do … if it doesn’t have consequences,’ he said. ‘Otherwise, it’s not good for the club to get fines or whatever because they said something. Because, in the end, it won’t be that the decision is changed and we’re going to replay. It’s never going to happen.’

Ex-Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor, working as a pundit for the BBC, said: ‘It’s a horrific decision. It’s that bad I don’t think the referee should work in the Champions League again this season. Anyone with two working eyes can see that’s not a second yellow card.’

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