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Rangers will not take European away tickets after new Uefa charge

Rangers said ‘there is nothing clever, bold or even defiant’ about the fans’ chanting

Rangers will not ask for any tickets for their next European away game after receiving another Uefa charge for sectarian singing, the club say.

The Ibrox club are “liaising” with Uefa after being sanctioned for “racist behaviour” during the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie with Legia Warsaw in Poland last Thursday.

The Scottish Premiership outfit have already been ordered to close part of Ibrox for Thursday’s second leg after a similar breach in their first-round tie against St Joseph’s on 18 July.

Rangers have to leave at least 3,000 seats empty and display a banner with “#EqualGame”.

A club statement released on Wednesday said the “fans responsible for this partial closure need to understand that they are damaging our club”.

They warned that “a further incidence” in the second leg against Legia “could lead to a ground closure”.

Rangers drew 0-0 in Poland in the first leg of the play-off, with the winners progressing to the group stage. Consequently, their next away game could be either in mid-September, or next season.

“We have taken the decision to make Uefa aware that we will decline tickets for our next away match even though this means that, once again, the many must suffer because of the few,” the statement added.

“This kind of behaviour has no place at Ibrox, or anywhere else where our many teams appear. Offenders must please stop. You are endangering your club, which has recently launched its Everyone Anyone project aimed at welcoming all to Ibrox.

“Those who wish to sing offensive songs must realise by now that they are insulting Rangers players, staff, and fellow fans. There is nothing clever, bold or even defiant in what this small number of supporters are doing.

“By supporting Rangers in the correct way, the rest of us must strive to protect our great club. One way or another this offensive behaviour must end and it would be much more preferable if we stopped it ourselves, simply by behaving like true Rangers fans.”

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