# 2001–02 Rangers F.C. season

The 2001–02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football by Rangers.

## Overview

Rangers played a total of 59 competitive matches during the 2001–02 season. The side won both the Scottish League Cup and Scottish Cup in 2001–02, while finishing second in the Scottish Premier League.
The season started under the Management of Dutchman Dick Advocaat. Inconsistent form including two losses to Celtic meant that by December, Rangers were behind Celtic in the league. Advocaat announced his resignation in December, moving to the position of Director of Football and Hibernian manager Alex McLeish took over. Rangers league form improved under McLeish with only one defeat taking place under him before the end of the season, but the gap opened up by Celtic meant no challenge to win the league was possible.
McLeish lead Rangers to success in the two domestic cup competitions. In the League Cup semi-final Rangers beat Celtic 2-1 after extra time with a long range Bert Konterman goal proving to be the winner. They would then go on to win the competition with a 4–0 win over Ayr United in the final. In the Scottish Cup Rangers against faced Celtic, this time in the final. A dramatic last minute goal from Peter Løvenkrands saw Rangers win the game 3–2.
In Europe Rangers went out of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round to Fenerbache and therefore dropped into the UEFA Cup. Rangers progressed in this competition and a penalty shoot-out win over PSG saw them stay in Europe beyond Christmas for the first time in nine years. Rangers then narrowly lost the next round to eventual UEFA Cup winners Feyenoord.

## Players
### Appearances

| | | | | Total | Total | Total | Scottish Premier League | Scottish Premier League | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Champions League | Champions League | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Sts | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls | App | Gls |
| 1 | GK | | Stefan Klos | 57 | 57 | | 36 | | 6 | | 4 | | 4 | | 7 | |
| 2 | DF | | Fernando Ricksen | 47 | 47 | 5 | 31 | 4 | 4 | | 3 | | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| 3 | DF | | Craig Moore | 29 | 29 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 2 | | 2 | | 3 | | 4 | |
| 4 | DF | | Lorenzo Amoruso | 47 | 47 | 6 | 28 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | | 2 | | 7 | 1 |
| 5 | DF | | Arthur Numan | 43 | 45 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 2 | | 3 | 1 | 3 | | 7 | |
| 6 | MF | | Barry Ferguson | 37 | 39 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | 7 | 2 |
| 7 | FW | | Claudio Caniggia | 31 | 42 | 9 | 24 | 5 | 3 | | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |
| 8 | MF | | Christian Nerlinger | 10 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | 2 | 1 | | |
| 9 | FW | | Tore André Flo | 39 | 46 | 25 | 30 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 10 | FW | | Michael Mols | 10 | 24 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | | 2 | | 3 | |
| 11 | MF | | Neil McCann | 22 | 38 | 7 | 25 | 6 | 5 | | 2 | | 3 | | 3 | 1 |
| 12 | MF | | Claudio Reyna | 17 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 2 | | | 1 | 1 | 3 | | 3 | |
| 14 | MF | | Ronald de Boer | 31 | 39 | 10 | 25 | 8 | 4 | | 3 | | 1 | | 6 | 2 |
| 15 | DF | | Bert Konterman | 41 | 42 | 5 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | | 7 | 1 |
| 16 | FW | | Billy Dodds | 6 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | | 1 | | | |
| 17 | MF | | Andrei Kanchelskis | 9 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | | 1 | | | |
| 18 | DF | | Michael Ball | 8 | 11 | 1 | 7 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | DF | | Scott Wilson | 10 | 12 | | 6 | | 1 | | 1 | | 3 | | 1 | |
| 20 | MF | | Russell Latapy | 21 | 29 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 3 | | 3 | | 2 | | 5 | |
| 21 | DF | | Maurice Ross | 24 | 29 | | 21 | | 4 | | 1 | | 1 | | 2 | |
| 22 | GK | | Jesper Christiansen | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 23 | FW | | Kenny Miller | | 3 | | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | MF | | Allan Johnston | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | FW | | Shota Arveladze | 27 | 30 | 17 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| 25 | DF | | Tony Vidmar | 34 | 38 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 5 | | 3 | | 3 | | 3 | |
| 26 | MF | | Peter Løvenkrands | 18 | 32 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | | 6 | 1 |
| 27 | MF | | Stephen Hughes | 18 | 28 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 4 | | 2 | | 3 | | 2 | |
| 28 | DF | | Dariusz Adamczuk | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 29 | DF | | Tero Penttilä | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 31 | DF | | Robert Malcolm | 7 | 8 | | 7 | | 1 | | | | | | | |
| 33 | GK | | Allan McGregor | 3 | 3 | | 2 | | 1 | | | | | | | |
| 36 | DF | | Andy Dowie | | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 39 | MF | | Jimmy Gibson | | 2 | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | | |
| 46 | FW | | Tom Brighton | 1 | 1 | | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 48 | MF | | Chris Burke | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Player | From | Fee |
| 25 June 2001 | Claudio Caniggia | Dundee | £900,000 |
| 26 June 2001 | Christian Nerlinger | Borussia Dortmund | £1,800,000 |
| 3 July 2001 | Russell Latapy | Hibernian | Free |
| 17 August 2001 | Michael Ball | Everton | £6,500,000 |
| 29 August 2001 | Shota Arveladze | Ajax | £3,000,000 |

### Out

| Date | Player | To | Fee |
| 22 May 2001 | Tero Penttilä | FC Haka | Loan |
| 24 May 2001 | Jörg Albertz | Hamburger SV | £3,000,000 |
| 30 May 2001 | Mark Brown | Motherwell | Free |
| 1 June 2001 | Sergio Porrini | Alessandria | Free |
| 1 June 2001 | Rod Wallace | Bolton Wanderers | Free |
| 20 June 2001 | Giovanni van Bronckhorst | Arsenal | £8,500,000 |
| 19 July 2001 | Tugay Kerimoğlu | Blackburn Rovers | £1,300,000 |
| 3 August 2001 | Peter MacDonald | St Johnstone | £125,000 |
| 6 August 2001 | Stephen Carson | Dundee United | £150,000 |
| 7 August 2001 | Marcus Gayle | Watford | £900,000 |
| 9 August 2001 | Dariusz Adamczuk | Wigan Athletic | Loan |
| 31 August 2001 | Allan Johnston | Middlesbrough | £600,000 |
| 7 December 2001 | Claudio Reyna | Sunderland | £4,000,000 |
| 14 December 2001 | Kenny Miller | Wolverhampton Wanderers | £3,000,000 |
| 28 January 2002 | Jesper Christiansen | Vejle Boldklub | Loan |
| 28 January 2002 | Paul Reid | Preston North End | Loan |
* Expenditure: £12,200,000
* Income: £21,575,000
* Total loss/gain: £9,375,000

## Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Friendlies

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 5 July 2001 | VV DOVO | A | 7–0 | 4,000 | Miller (3), de Boer, Numan, Dodds, Kanchelskis |
| 7 July 2001 | VV Capelle | A | 5–1 | 3,500 | Johnston (2), Caniggia, de Boer, Gayle |
| 9 July 2001 | WHC Wezep/VSCO | A | 8–0 | 2,200 | Miller (3), Flo (2), Dodds, Nerlinger, Caniggia |
| 15 July 2001 | FC Copenhagen | A | 1–1 | 10,484 | Nerlinger |
| 17 July 2001 | Malmö | A | 3–1 | 6,000 | McCann, Caniggia, Flo |
| 21 July 2001 | Anderlecht | H | 1–2 | 25,200 | Caniggia |

### Scottish Premier League

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 28 July 2001 | Aberdeen | A | 3–0 | 18,800 | Nerlinger, Latapy (pen.), Caniggia |
| 4 August 2001 | Livingston | H | 0–0 | 47,805 | |
| 11 August 2001 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 4–1 | 10,902 | Latapy, Flo, Konterman (2) |
| 18 August 2001 | Hibernian | H | 2–2 | 45,940 | Hughes, Flo |
| 26 August 2001 | Dundee | H | 2–0 | 48,038 | Mols, Ricksen |
| 8 September 2001 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 2–2 | 14,014 | Latapy, Flo |
| 16 September 2001 | Motherwell | H | 3–0 | 41,137 | Flo, de Boer, Caniggia |
| 22 September 2001 | Dundee United | A | 6–1 | 11,117 | Buchan (o.g.), Flo (3), de Boer, McCann |
| 30 September 2001 | Celtic | H | 0–2 | 50,097 | |
| 13 October 2001 | Kilmarnock | H | 3–1 | 49,379 | Arveladze, Caniggia, Flo |
| 21 October 2001 | St Johnstone | A | 2–0 | 8,331 | Arveladze, Flo |
| 27 October 2001 | Livingston | A | 2–0 | 10,012 | Reyna (2) |
| 4 November 2001 | Aberdeen | H | 2–0 | 49,739 | Flo (2) |
| 17 November 2001 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 4–0 | 48,554 | Arveladze (2), Flo (2) |
| 25 November 2001 | Celtic | A | 1–2 | 59,609 | Løvenkrands |
| 1 December 2001 | Dundee | A | 0–0 | 11,085 | |
| 9 December 2001 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–1 | 47,891 | de Boer, Latapy, Arveladze |
| 12 December 2001 | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | 46,179 | Ricksen |
| 15 December 2001 | Motherwell | A | 2–2 | 9,864 | Arveladze, McCann |
| 22 December 2001 | Dundee United | H | 3–2 | 47,315 | Arveladze (2), Amoruso |
| 26 December 2001 | Hibernian | A | 3–0 | 14,021 | Moore, Flo, Arveladze |
| 29 December 2001 | St Johnstone | H | 1–0 | 48,827 | Mols |
| 12 January 2002 | Livingston | H | 3–0 | 48,044 | Flo, Caniggia (2) |
| 19 January 2002 | Aberdeen | A | 1–0 | 17,846 | Amoruso |
| 23 January 2002 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 4–2 | 8,795 | Vidmar, de Boer (2), Arveladze (pen) |
| 30 January 2002 | Kilmarnock | A | 2–2 | 11,589 | de Boer, Flo |
| 2 February 2002 | Dundee | H | 2–1 | 48,861 | Arveladze, Moore |
| 9 February 2002 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 2–0 | 14,128 | de Boer, McCann |
| 16 February 2002 | Motherwell | H | 3–0 | 49,284 | Latapy, Flo, Ricksen |
| 3 March 2002 | Dundee United | A | 1–0 | 9,386 | Amoruso (pen.) |
| 6 March 2002 | St Johnstone | A | 2–0 | 6,382 | Flo, Ricksen |
| 10 March 2002 | Celtic | H | 1–1 | 50,111 | Numan |
| 20 March 2002 | Kilmarnock | H | 5–0 | 40,768 | McCann (3), Kanchelskis, Burke |
| 7 April 2002 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 2–0 | 47,492 | Dodds (2) |
| 13 April 2002 | Livingston | A | 1–2 | 10,019 | Amoruso |
| 21 April 2002 | Celtic | A | 1–1 | 59,384 | Løvenkrands |
| 27 April 2002 | Aberdeen | H | 2–0 | 48,878 | McCann, Ferguson |
| 12 May 2002 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 1–1 | 8,716 | Moore |

### Scottish League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 October 2001 | R3 | Airdrieonians | H | 3–0 | 34,075 | Arveladze (2), Numan |
| 28 November 2001 | QF | Ross County | A | 2–1 | 5,972 | Arveladze, Reyna |
| 5 February 2002 | SF | Celtic | N | 2–1 | 43,457 | Løvenkrands, Konterman |
| 17 March 2002 | F | Ayr United | N | 4–0 | 50,076 | Caniggia (2), Flo, Ferguson (pen.) |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 15 January 2002 | R3 | Berwick Rangers | A | 0–0 | 4,280 | |
| 21 January 2002 | R3 R | Berwick Rangers | H | 3–0 | 17,662 | Amoruso, Konterman, Arveladze |
| 26 January 2002 | R4 | Hibernian | H | 4–1 | 25,636 | Flo (2), Løvenkrands, Dodds |
| 24 February 2002 | QF | Forfar Athletic | A | 6–0 | 4,504 | Dodds (3), Arveladze (2), Kanchelskis |
| 24 March 2002 | SF | Partick Thistle | N | 3–0 | 31,969 | Nerlinger (2), Ferguson |
| 4 May 2002 | F | Celtic | N | 3–2 | 51,138 | Løvenkrands (2), Ferguson |

### UEFA Champions League

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 25 July 2001 | QR2 | NK Maribor | A | 3–0 | 6,100 | Flo (2, 1 pen.), Nerlinger |
| 1 August 2001 | QR2 | NK Maribor | H | 3–1 | 50,045 | Flo, Caniggia (2) |
| 8 August 2001 | QR3 | Fenerbahçe | H | 0–0 | 49,472 | |
| 22 August 2001 | QR3 | Fenerbahçe | A | 1–2 | 18,272 | Ricksen |

### UEFA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 27 September 2001 | R1 | Anzhi Makhachkala | N | 1–0 | 4,200 | Konterman |
| 18 October 2001 | R2 | Dynamo Moscow | H | 3–1 | 45,008 | Amoruso, Ball, de Boer |
| 1 November 2001 | R2 | Dynamo Moscow | A | 4–1 | 6,000 | de Boer, Ferguson, Flo, Løvenkrands |
| 22 November 2001 | R3 | Paris Saint-Germain | H | 0–0 | 49,223 | |
| 6 December 2001 | R3 | Paris Saint-Germain | A | 0–0* | 35,000 | |
| 21 February 2002 | R4 | Feyenoord | H | 1–1 | 49,041 | Ferguson (pen.) |
| 28 February 2002 | R4 | Feyenoord | A | 2–3 | 45,000 | McCann, Ferguson (pen.) |
*Rangers won the match 4–3 on penalties

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Celtic (C) | 38 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 94 | 18 | +76 | 103 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 2 | Rangers | 38 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 82 | 27 | +55 | 85 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Livingston | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 58 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 55 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 5 | Heart of Midlothian | 38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 52 | 57 | −5 | 48 | |
* ↑ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
* ↑ As both finalists of the 2001–02 Scottish Cup, Rangers and Celtic, qualified for European competition via their league position, the cup berth for 2002–03 UEFA Cup was passed to the next-placed team in the league, fourth-placed Aberdeen.