Rangers’ remarkable 3-1 Europa League triumph over Fenerbahce in Istanbul has been met with calls for humility from defender Ridvan Yilmaz.
The 23-year-old, who hails from Istanbul and began his career at Beşiktaş, emphasized the importance of remaining focused ahead of the crucial second leg at Ibrox.
The Turkish international is no stranger to big clashes against Fenerbahce from his time in the Super Lig.
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Yilmaz, deployed out of his preferred left-back position, contributed to a stellar Rangers performance that belied their recent domestic struggles.
Striker Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring early, followed by a Fenerbahce equalizer from Alexander Djiku. However, a brace from Vaclav Cerny secured a famous victory for the Scottish side, leaving them in a commanding position.
Despite the elation, both interim manager Barry Ferguson and Fenerbahce’s Jose Mourinho stressed that the tie was far from over.
Yilmaz echoed this sentiment, telling RangersTV, “I’m proud of my team-mates. I have a lot of good memories in this place and I’m so happy to add one more. It’s a fantastic win. But we need to be humble, we have a second game, after a good result in the away game.”
He continued, “The manager is proud of us as well. He knows everything about the club, he was a player as well. We are so happy to win but we have one more game and I hope we go through.”
Yilmaz, who enjoyed the support of his family in his hometown, reiterated the need for a focused approach ahead of the return leg.
“It wasn’t the best game for me. But the most important thing was to win. I give my everything for my team-mates and also my family was here. So I’m sure they are also happy about the result. It was the first time my mum has watched me live playing for Rangers so I am so happy for her as well.”
He concluded, “We should be humble, we got a good result in the away game and I hope we get it at Ibrox as well.”
The Turkish international’s message of caution serves as a reminder that the job is only half done, and Rangers must maintain their concentration to secure a place in the Europa League quarter-finals.
