RANGERS are in UEFA Europa League action against SL Benfica and you can find out more about the Portuguese club before the second leg here.
Formed: 28 February 1904
Nickname: The Eagles
Stadium: Estadio da Luz
Stadium Capacity: 64,642
Head Coach: Roger Schmidt
Major Honours: 38 x Primeira Liga, 26 x Taça de Portugal, 7 x Taça da Liga, 2 x European Cup
HEAD COACH
As a player, Roger Schmidt spent the majority of his career in the fifth and sixth tiers of the German football league pyramid. After spells in charge of Delbrucker SC and SC Preußen Munster, his major managerial breakthrough came in July 2011 when he took the top job at 2. Bundesliga club SC Paderborn 07.
A year later, his first top-flight appointment came at reigning Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg. In 2013/14, he guided the club to the ‘double’ as Salzburg won both the Bundesliga and Austrian Cup.
He returned to Germany in April 2014 to become head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, who finished third in the Bundesliga in 2015/16 prior to his eventual sacking in March 2017.
Three months later, Schmidt joined Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan, where he won the Chinese FA Cup in 2018. He experienced further cup success at his next club, PSV Eindhoven, who beat Ajax 2-1 in the 2022 KNVB Cup final.
Schmidt’s Benfica were Primeira Liga champions in 2022/23 in his debut season at the Estadio da Luz. The campaign also saw him named the Primeira Liga’s Manager of the Season.
CAPTAIN
A FIFA World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, Nicolas Otamendi joined Benfica from Manchester City in September 2020.
A three-time Primeira Liga winner with the Eagles’ rivals Porto between 2010 and 2014, Otamendi won the division once again with Benfica in 2022/23 – a season in which he was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year.
BETWEEN THE STICKS
Ukraine international goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin joined Benfica in August 2023 from his hometown team, Shakhtar Donetsk.
During his time in the Ukrainian Premier League, the 6ft 6in stopper was named the division’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021/22 and 2022/23 while he was also named in a UEFA Champions League ‘Breakthrough XI’ in 2020.
The 22-year-old has been capped by Ukraine at all levels between under-16 and under-21 while he has 10 senior caps to his name currently.
ONE TO WATCH
One of four Argentinian players currently in Benfica’s squad, Angel Di Maria returned to sign for his former club in July 2023 having previously netted 15 times in 125 appearances for the Eagles between 2007 and 2010.
The forward has won seven top flight league titles in three different countries to date, with the 2022 World Cup winner having represented the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
Every issue has the best exclusive interviews and in-depth features, read more about what you can find in the Benfica issue below:
Mohamed Diomande is our main feature interview for the match, and the Ivorian midfielder who speaks about his delight at playing in European competition with Rangers.
Fresh from her first international start for Scotland, Chelsea Cornet speaks about the squad getting ready for the upcoming Sky Sports cup final against Partick Thistle and the
second half of the season in the SWPL split.
Former Gers midfielder Pedro Mendes speaks about the matches against Benfica as well as his own career with the Light Blues.
Welcome message and update from CEO James Bisgrove as well as Philippe Clement's and Captain James Tavernier's programme notes.
The full lowdown on Benfica and matches between the clubs with Oppo Focus, Previous Meetings, Fast Facts and more.
Academy coach Jonatan Johansson speaks to Rangers Youth Development Company about his own career as a Gers player as well as his hopes for shaping the next generation of Rangers players in the Academy.
Club historian David Mason has a feature talking about the special friendship between Willie Henderson and Portuguese and Benfica legend Eusebio.
There's all our regular features like On This Day, the Half Time Quiz, Junior Gers results, fixtures, a check in with the Rangers Charity Foundation and more!
All this plus so much more can be found in 84-page issue, priced at just £5 and with a free poster of the team from the first included.
Programmes can be purchased pre-match at Ibrox Stadium from our sellers outside the stadium, at the bar in Edmiston House, within the Museum Store or at every kiosk inside the stadium, or online here.