Frankfurt captain Sebastian Rode shows off Rangers battle scar after bloodied trophy lift

Eintracht Frankfurt captain Sebastian Rode showed off his battle scars after lifting the Europa League trophy after his side defeated Rangers in Wednesday night’s dramatic final.

Aaron Ramsey missed the crucial penalty in a tense shootout which ensured that Frankfurt won their first European trophy since 1980 and meant that Rangers wait for a European crown has now stretched beyond 50 years.

That led to Rode lifting the trophy at the end of a gruelling contest which had taken its toll on him more than any other player. The central midfielder was inadvertently kicked in the head by Gers opponent John Lundstram in the sixth minute, leading to a lengthy stoppage in play.

Lundstram went for the ball with what a raised boot and caught Rode, who had ducked his head down towards it. That incident led to a prolonged stop in the play while the 31-year-old received treatment on the edge of the box.

So bad was Rode’s wound, it required stitches and ensured that he could only play the remainder of the game with a hand bandage wrapped around the injury. He also had to change his shirt, which had been covered in blood following the incident.

Rode took to Twitter after the game to share an image of his battle scar, alongside the caption: “The main thing is to get the thing!!! Everything else doesn't matter.” The midfielder had been in pain, but he was overjoyed by his side lifting the trophy.

The incident with Lundstram was an early talking point in the match, but many believed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic made the right call in not sending the Rangers man off. Former referee Peter Walton said on BT Sport that the challenge did not merit a red card but a yellow card – which was not shown either.

Former Rangers boss Ally