NafisaRangers have been hit with devastating news immediately after their crushing 3-1 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead, with Danny Rohl now staring at the brutal reality that the title race is effectively over.
What made Sunday even more painful for the Ibrox side was the manner of the collapse.
Rangers had started brilliantly in the Old Firm derby and looked capable of blowing Celtic away early on after taking the lead through Mikey Moore. For large spells of the first half, Rohl’s side carried the greater threat and looked physically sharper than the hosts.
But once Celtic found their equaliser through Yang Hyun-jun, the momentum completely shifted.
The second half quickly turned into the Daizen Maeda show.
The Japanese forward tore Rangers apart repeatedly after the break, scoring twice to hand Martin O’Neill’s side a massive 3-1 victory in front of a deafening Celtic Park crowd.
As the final whistle sounded, the damage went far beyond simply losing another derby.
The defeat has now left Rangers seven points behind both Celtic and Hearts with only two games remaining, effectively confirming that Rohl’s men are out of the Scottish Premiership title race altogether.
Even worse for Rangers supporters, the result has all but ended their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season.
With Hearts still sitting above them and Celtic surging back into the title picture at exactly the right moment, Rangers now look destined to finish third unless something dramatic happens in the final days of the campaign.
That reality has sparked fury among sections of the Rangers support online, with many fans struggling to process how quickly the season has unravelled over the past fortnight.
Just weeks ago, Rohl’s side looked genuine contenders after their long unbeaten run had dragged them back into the championship conversation.
Now they suddenly find themselves staring at the possibility of ending the season without silverware and without Europe’s elite competition.
The financial consequences could be enormous.
Missing out on Champions League football would represent a huge blow for Rangers heading into what is already expected to be a massive summer rebuild under the new regime at Ibrox. Recruitment plans, transfer budgets and player sales could all now be impacted by the collapse.
Sky Sports pundit also appeared deeply frustrated while reacting to the fallout from the derby defeat.
The former Rangers striker questioned the mentality shown after his old side once again failed to hold onto a lead in a massive game. Boyd looked visibly furious as discussion turned toward Rangers potentially missing out on both the title and Champions League qualification.
For Danny Rohl, the emotional toll also looked obvious.
The German coach stood motionless at full-time as Celtic players celebrated wildly around him, fully aware that his side had likely thrown away their final realistic chance of rescuing the season.
There had been hope inside Ibrox that a statement victory at Parkhead could reignite belief and heap pressure back onto Celtic and Hearts.
Instead, the opposite happened.
Celtic now suddenly look alive again in the title race after Hearts dropped points against Motherwell, while Rangers have been left watching their entire campaign collapse in the space of a week.
For many Rangers fans, that may be the hardest part of all.
Nafisa
