Nacho Novo revisits Rangers UEFA Cup marathon as he vents on fixture pile up decision that 'still hurts'

Rangers’ 2008 schedule was a marathon effort but Nacho Novo still can’t believe Hampden chiefs forced his side into a frantic sprint down the final straight.

Walter Smith’s men were going for a domestic clean sweep as well as UEFA Cup glory after a lung-bursting season that eventually tallied up to 68 gruelling games.

But a campaign that promised so much ultimately fell agonisingly short as the Ibrox side were pipped to the line for the two biggest prizes on offer.

Smith’s European battlers had scraped their way through round after round to reach the final in Manchester, only to be outclassed by a Zenit St Petersburg side bossed by ex-Gers gaffer Dick Advocaat.

And there was more pain in store as their bid for the league title also ran out of steam after SPL chiefs forced Rangers to play four games, including the Scottish Cup final, in the space of eight days after a fixture backlog thrust the campaign run-in into chaos.

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The hectic schedule took its toll on Smith’s weary squad as they dropped 10 points in the final seven league matches, allowing Celtic to canter to the title.

It’s a situation Gio van Bronckhorst ’s current group will be wary of as they prepare for their own campaign finale.