Scotland boss backs Rangers in fixtures row

Scotland manager George Burley has backed Rangers' criticism of the Scottish Premier League bosses after their refusal to further extend the domestic season condemned the UEFA Cup finalists to play seven games in 18 days.

Rangers could yet finish the season with four trophies, but fatigue has thrown their title chances into the balance and the SPL's stance on fixtures means the Ibrox club will have to face Dundee United in a must-win league match on Saturday, just four days before taking on Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup final in Manchester.

Walter Smith's men were due to begin their arduous programme against Motherwell on Wednesday. They will now conclude a campaign that began in late July, 2007 with a Scottish Cup final meeting with first division Queen of the South on May 24.

The intense programme left Burley with little option but to leave four Rangers players out of his squad for a friendly in the Czech Republic on May 30 and he voiced his frustration with the situation.

“I think it's ridiculous at this stage of the season that I'm naming the squad and Rangers still have seven games to play,” Burley said. “It's something that shouldn't be allowed to happen and it's something that the SPL and everyone in Scottish football has got to look at.

“It shouldn't happen to any club. They are being punished for their success in reaching the UEFA Cup final and that has to be looked at.”

Rangers chairman Sir David Murray claimed the SPL had left Scottish football open to ridicule.

“Throughout the world people will laugh at this decision in disbelief, and none more so than in Russia as their own association have done everything they can to assist Zenit St Petersburg,” Murray fumed.

“It has been a remarkable season despite being spoiled by bureaucracy and Scottish footballing legislators.”

Gordon Smith, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association effectively endorsed Murray's view.

Smith, a former Rangers striker, said: “I think it is doing damage, there's no doubt about it. People are saying there's no support for a team in a European final. And that is going across Europe and the world at the moment. “There will be a certain amount of damage to the reputation of the game because of that, I have no doubt.”

Rangers went into their clash with Motherwell trailing Celtic by seven points in the league but with three games in hand.

The SPL had already extended the league to May 22 because of Rangers' run in Europe – a decision that Celtic had lobbied against.