Record-breaking Rangers support puts Bilbao cops on alert as city to be swamped with basketball fans

Rangers will bring the largest ever number of fans to Bilbao this week with Spanish police expecting 5,000 supporters to travel to Spain.

And they are on high alert because of an expected huge influx of Greek fans too for a basketball match the day before Rangers play in the city and scenes of mayhem in the last round when Roma visited.

Rangers managed to secure a goalless draw in the Europa League quarter final first leg despite having to play the vast majority of the game with ten men after Robin Propper was sent off.

They have been handed an official allocation of 2,600 for the second leg at the San Mames ground, but Spanish police forces are reportedly been informed by their Scottish counterparts that 5,000 Rangers fans are expected to travel even though plenty won't have tickets.

There is already a massive nightclub selling tickets for Rangers fans at nearby Ernadio which will open from 2.30pm on the day of the game until 4.30am after it, with tickets being sold for 25 Euros.

No other club have taken as many supporters to Bilbao and tensions have been heightened because of the FIBA Europa Cup basketball final first leg between Bilbao Basket and PAOK Thessaloniki on Wednesday.

The capacity of the Bilbao Arena where the game will be held is 10,000 and PAOK are expected to bring a couple of thousand fans to the city for the basketball game.

Bilbao police have already announced they will install a security cordon outside the stadium after trouble when Roma visited in the last round.

Bars were wrecked, bins were set on fire, police attacked, ambulance medics were threatened, cars were damaged and street furniture was flung around the city, leading to dozens of arrests.

Bilbao's mayor, Juan Mari Aburto, promised