# 1998–99 Rangers F.C. season

The 1998–99 season was the 119th season of competitive football by Rangers.

## Overview

Rangers played a total of 55 competitive matches during the 1998–99 season. They started the season under new management with Dick Advocaat replacing Walter Smith. The squad Smith had left behind was past its best so Advocaat, with the financial backing of Chairman David Murray, set about rebuilding almost the entire squad.
Success quickly followed and Advocaat built a team that gave the club their first domestic treble since the 1992–93 season. The Scottish Cup was secured by a 1–0 win against Celtic and the League Cup by a 2–1 defeat of St Johnstone.
The club enjoyed its best season in Europe since 1992–93 as well, reaching the third round of the UEFA Cup before being knocked out by Italian side Parma.

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Player | From | Fee |
| 19 May 1998 | Arthur Numan | PSV Eindhoven | £5,000,000 |
| 6 July 1998 | Gabriel Amato | Real Mallorca | £4,200,000 |
| 6 July 1998 | Giovanni van Bronckhorst | Feyenoord | £5,000,000 plus Peter van Vossen |
| 15 July 1998 | Andrei Kanchelskis | Fiorentina | £5,500,000 |
| 16 July 1998 | Lionel Charbonnier | Auxerre | £1,200,000 |
| 16 July 1998 | Rod Wallace | Leeds United | Free |
| 26 July 1998 | Daniel Prodan | Atlético Madrid | £2,200,000 |
| 4 August 1998 | Colin Hendry | Blackburn Rovers | £4,000,000 |
| 6 November 1998 | Stéphane Guivarc'h | Newcastle United | £3,500,000 |
| 14 December 1998 | Neil McCann | Heart of Midlothian | £1,800,000 |
| 24 December 1998 | Stefan Klos | Borussia Dortmund | £700,000 |
| 1 January 1999 | Lee Feeney | Linfield | £100,000 |
| 1 April 1999 | Craig Moore | Crystal Palace | £1,000,000 |
| 1 April 1999 | Claudio Reyna | VfL Wolfsburg | £1,200,000 |

### Out

| Date | Player | To | Fee |
| 13 May 1998 | Alan McLaren | Retired | Retired |
| 18 May 1998 | Richard Gough | San Jose Clash | Free |
| 26 May 1998 | Andy Goram | Notts County | Free |
| 31 May 1998 | Michael Rae | Huntly | Free |
| 1 June 1998 | Stuart McCall | Bradford City | Free |
| 3 June 1998 | Ally McCoist | Kilmarnock | Free |
| 13 June 1998 | Ian Durrant | Kilmarnock | Free |
| 19 June 1998 | Joachim Björklund | Valencia | £2,500,000 |
| 29 June 1998 | Stephen Wright | Bradford City | Free |
| 1 July 1998 | Brian Laudrup | Chelsea | Free |
| 1 July 1998 | Alec Cleland | Everton | Free |
| 7 July 1998 | Peter van Vossen | Feyenoord | Part-exchange for Giovanni van Bronckhorst |
| 6 October 1998 | Craig Moore | Crystal Palace | £800,000 |
| 22 October 1998 | Gennaro Gattuso | Salernitana | £2,800,000 |
| 6 November 1998 | Gordan Petric | Crystal Palace | £400,000 |
| 13 November 1998 | David Graham | Dunfermline Athletic | Free |
| 22 February 1999 | Steven Boyack | Dundee | £25,000 |
* Expendure: £34,900,000
* Income: £6,425,000
* Total loss/gain: £28,475,000

## Appearances

List of squad players, including number of appearances by competition
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | FRA | Lionel Charbonnier | 19 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ITA | Sergio Porrini | 54 | 3 | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | ITA | Lorenzo Amoruso | 49 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ROU | Daniel Prodan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | NED | Arthur Numan | 19 | 0 | 8+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | SCO | Barry Ferguson | 39 | 2 | 22 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | RUS | Andrei Kanchelskis | 45 | 9 | 30+1 | 7 | 4+1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | NED | Giovanni van Bronckhorst | 53 | 10 | 35 | 7 | 4+1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Gordon Durie | 13 | 1 | 1+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 4+2 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ARG | Gabriel Amato | 31 | 9 | 13+7 | 6 | 1+2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0+6 | 2 |
| 11 | MF | GER | Jörg Albertz | 53 | 19 | 33+1 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8+2 | 4 |
| 12 | DF | SWE | Jonas Thern | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | FIN | Antti Niemi | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | SCO | Ian Ferguson | 26 | 1 | 4+9 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+3 | 1 | 5+4 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | YUG | Gordan Petrić | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | FRA | Stéphane Guivarc'h (from 6 November) | 18 | 7 | 10+3 | 5 | 3+1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | ENG | Rod Wallace | 51 | 27 | 34 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| 17 | MF | SCO | Derek McInnes | 9 | 0 | 0+7 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ITA | Gennaro Gattuso | 11 | 1 | 3+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2+3 | 1 |
| 18 | MF | SCO | Neil McCann (from 14 December) | 24 | 8 | 15+4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | AUS | Craig Moore | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 19 | GK | GER | Stefan Klos (from 24 December) | 23 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | FIN | Jonatan Johansson | 37 | 17 | 13+12 | 8 | 1+2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6+1 | 5 |
| 21 | DF | NOR | Ståle Stensaas | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | SCO | Scott Wilson | 20 | 1 | 7+5 | 1 | 1+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | SCO | David Graham | 5 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | SCO | Barry Nicholson | 6 | 0 | 3+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | AUS | Tony Vidmar | 39 | 2 | 26+2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | SCO | Charlie Miller | 21 | 4 | 2+13 | 3 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | ITA | Luigi Riccio | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | CHI | Sebastian Rozental | 3 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | FW | NIR | Lee Feeney | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | SCO | Colin Hendry | 32 | 0 | 17+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 |
| 38 | DF | AUS | Craig Moore | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | MF | USA | Claudio Reyna | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Scottish Premier League

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 August 1998 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–2 | 15,892 | Wallace |
| 15 August 1998 | Motherwell | H | 2–1 | 49,275 | Wallace, Albertz (pen.) |
| 22 August 1998 | Kilmarnock | A | 3–1 | 17,608 | Wallace, Albertz (pen.), Miller |
| 29 August 1998 | St Johnstone | H | 4–0 | 48,732 | Wallace, Albertz (pen.), Kanchelskis, van Bronckhorst |
| 12 September 1998 | Dundee United | A | 0–0 | 12,788 | |
| 20 September 1998 | Celtic | H | 0–0 | 50,026 | |
| 23 September 1998 | Aberdeen | A | 1–1 | 17,862 | Wallace |
| 26 September 1998 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 2–0 | 11,507 | Johansson, B.Ferguson |
| 4 October 1998 | Dundee | H | 1–0 | 48,348 | Albertz |
| 17 October 1998 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–0 | 49,749 | Wallace (2), Johansson |
| 28 October 1998 | Motherwell | A | 0–1 | 11,777 | |
| 31 October 1998 | Dundee United | H | 2–1 | 49,503 | Wallace, Amoruso |
| 8 November 1998 | St Johnstone | A | 7–0 | 9,636 | Wallace, Johansson, Albertz (2, 2 (pens.)), Kanchelskis, Guivarc'h (2) |
| 14 November 1998 | Aberdeen | H | 2–1 | 49,479 | van Bronckhorst, Kanchelskis |
| 21 November 1998 | Celtic | A | 1–5 | 59,703 | van Bronckhorst |
| 5 December 1998 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 1–1 | 47,465 | van Bronckhorst |
| 12 December 1998 | Kilmarnock | H | 1–0 | 49,781 | Wallace |
| 19 December 1998 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 3–2 | 17,134 | Guivarc'h (2), Wallace |
| 26 December 1998 | St Johnstone | H | 1–0 | 49,479 | Porrini |
| 30 December 1998 | Dundee United | A | 2–1 | 11,707 | Wilson, Wallace |
| 3 January 1999 | Celtic | H | 2–2 | 50,059 | Amato, Wallace |
| 27 January 1999 | Dundee | A | 4–0 | 9,453 | Miller (2), Guivarc'h, Johansson |
| 30 January 1999 | Aberdeen | A | 4–2 | 19,537 | Porrini, Wallace, Albertz (pen.), Kanchelskis |
| 7 February 1999 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 3–0 | 11,500 | Kanchelskis, Johansson (2) |
| 20 February 1999 | Dundee | H | 6–1 | 49,462 | Albertz(3, 1 pen), McCann (2), van Bronckhorst |
| 28 February 1999 | Kilmarnock | A | 5–0 | 16,242 | McCann, Wallace (3), Johansson |
| 13 March 1999 | Motherwell | H | 2–1 | 49,483 | Wallace, Johansson |
| 20 March 1999 | Dundee United | H | 0–1 | 49,164 | |
| 4 April 1999 | St Johnstone | A | 1–3 | 9,740 | Moore |
| 14 April 1999 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 1–0 | 46,220 | van Bronckhorst |
| 18 April 1999 | Dundee | A | 1–1 | 11,051 | Vidmar |
| 25 April 1999 | Aberdeen | H | 3–1 | 49,145 | Amato (pen.), Kanchelskis, Wallace |
| 2 May 1999 | Celtic | A | 3–0 | 59,918 | McCann (2), Albertz (pen.) |
| 9 May 1999 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–0 | 49,495 | |
| 15 May 1999 | Motherwell | A | 5–1 | 11,078 | Amato (3, 1 (pen.)), van Bronckhorst, Kanchelskis |
| 23 May 1999 | Kilmarnock | H | 1–1 | 48,835 | Amato |

### Scottish League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 18 August 1998 | R3 | Alloa Athletic | H | 4–0 | 37,201 | Albertz(2), B.Ferguson, Amoruso |
| 8 September 1998 | QF | Ayr United | A | 2–0 | 11,198 | Miller, Amato |
| 25 October 1998 | SF | Airdrieonians | N | 5–0 | 21,171 | Johansson, Wallace (2), I.Ferguson, Durie |
| 29 November 1998 | F | St Johnstone | N | 2–1 | 45,533 | Guivarc'h, Albertz |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 23 January 1999 | R3 | Stenhousemuir | H | 2–0 | 37,759 | Guivarc'h, Wallace |
| 14 February 1999 | R4 | Hamilton Academical | A | 6–0 | 7,339 | Johannson (2), Albertz(pen.), Vidmar, Kanchelskis, McCann |
| 6 March 1999 | QF | Falkirk | H | 2–1 | 39,250 | McCann, Amoruso |
| 11 April 1999 | SF | St Johnstone | N | 4–0 | 20,664 | Wallace, van Bronckhorst, Johansson, McCann |
| 29 May 1999 | F | Celtic | N | 1–0 | 52,670 | Wallace |

### UEFA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 22 July 1998 | QR1 | Shelbourne | N | 5–3 | 6,047 | Albertz (2 pens), Amato (2), van Bronckhorst |
| 29 July 1998 | QR1 | Shelbourne | H | 2–0 | 46,906 | Johansson (2) |
| 11 August 1998 | QR2 | PAOK | H | 2–0 | 35,392 | Wallace, Kanchelskis |
| 25 August 1998 | QR2 | PAOK | A | 0–0 | 30,388 | |
| 15 September 1998 | R1 | Beitar Jerusalem | A | 1–1 | 14,000 | Albertz |
| 1 October 1998 | R1 | Beitar Jerusalem | H | 4–2 | 45,610 | Johansson, Wallace, Porrini, Gattuso |
| 22 October 1998 | R2 | Bayer Leverkusen | A | 2–1 | 22,000 | Johansson, van Bronckhorst |
| 5 November 1998 | R2 | Bayer Leverkusen | H | 1–1 | 50,012 | Johansson |
| 24 November 1998 | R3 | Parma | H | 1–1 | 49,514 | Wallace |
| 8 December 1998 | R3 | Parma | A | 1–3 | 17,000 | Albertz |

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Rangers (C) | 36 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 78 | 31 | +47 | 77 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Celtic | 36 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 84 | 35 | +49 | 71 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 3 | St Johnstone | 36 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 39 | 38 | +1 | 57 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 4 | Kilmarnock | 36 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 56 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 5 | Dundee | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 36 | 56 | −20 | 46 | |
* ↑ Since Rangers, the winners of the 1998–99 Scottish Cup, already qualified for the UEFA Champions League, Celtic, the losing finalist, earned a spot in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. As such, the league's UEFA Cup place moved down to third-placed St Johnstone. Scotland were also awarded an additional UEFA Cup place as the association was top of the UEFA Fair Play ranking. Kilmarnock earned this place as winners of the Scottish Fair Play ranking.