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FCSB planning Rangers rest day as madcap owner insists Europa League clash is less important than domestic derbies

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Madcap FCSB owner Gig Bacali has revealed they plans to REST players for their Europa League clash with Rangers as he puts Bucharest derbies at the top of his agenda.

Philippe Clement's side take on the Romanian's at Ibrox next Thursday off the back of their heavy 4-1 defeat to Lyon and an opening game victory away in Malmo. The Light Blues have designs on reaching the kncokouts and trying to go as deep as they can in the competition after a heroic run to the final two years ago.

But it appears their opponents have other ideas. Bacali is keen that FCSB are fully firing when they take on city rivals Dinamo and Rapid Bucharest, until recently managed for former Celtic boss Neil Lennon. The derby clashes sandwich their trip to Ibrox next Thursday, with Dinamo up first this Sunday before Bacalis boys land in Govan. Then it's home for another derby ding dong with Rapid.

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"Until now, I wasn't interested in the fact that we were playing with Dinamo, Rapid, I was just saying that it was about 3 points," said the controversial financier. "Slowly, slowly, I began to understand the fans' fanaticism and to say that the matches with Dinamo are more important. Plus in football you have to please the fans, I haven't really seen these. Now I'm starting to understand.It will be the best team.

"We will be grooming some players for Rapid. I said we were managing the players in Scotland at Rangers. The same team that will play with Dinamo will also play with Rapid. In the Cup with Dinamo, the team that will play with Rangers will play, it will not be the stars. Any European match that will be at home is to please the fans, because that's why they spent millions on tickets, so that their team could win.

"With Craiova in the championship, we will play with the standard team and the same with Midtjylland."