Legendary Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been handed a lifetime membership by Eintracht Frankfurt in recognition of his ties to the Bundesliga outfit.
Ferguson notably showcased his prowess against Frankfurt during his debut match for Rangers in 1967, netting a hat-trick in a pre-season friendly that saw the Scottish Premiership giants triumph 5-3.
Additionally, former Manchester United and Aberdeen boss graced Ibrox as a spectator when Rangers faced Frankfurt in the European Cup semi-finals seven years prior. In a memorable encounter, the German side emerged victorious, securing a emphatic 6-3 win in the second leg and sealing a comprehensive 12-4 aggregate triumph.
Recalling his best memories after being presented with a club scarf and shirt that included his name on the back, the 82-year-old told Frankfurt's website: “That was unbelievable. In the first leg, Frankfurt beat Rangers 6-1. I was at the second leg when Eintracht came to Ibrox with 70,000 spectators.
“Of course we felt hopeful and told ourselves that Rangers could come back. In the end they lost again by six goals. I was a Rangers fan and only lived about 200 metres from Ibrox.
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"I also attended the final (against Real Madrid at Hampden Park) and hoped Frankfurt would win as they had beaten Rangers.
“At the time I was 17 years old and played for Queens Park FC from Glasgow. It was a great game. (Richard) Kress scored the first goal. We said to ourselves, ‘wow, a great German team’.
“But then there were (Ferenc) Puskas, (Alfredo) Di Stefano and (Paco) Gento. I don’t think there will ever be another team as charismatic as the Real Madrid team at the time.
“Puskas scored four goals and Di Stefano three. They were fantastic players and the 7-3 win was an incredible game. There was no shame in losing this game. Frankfurt had proven itself in the semi-final against Rangers.”
Scotland will face Germany in the opening group stage match of this summer’s European Championship and Ferguson was jokingly asked if the hosts had “an outside chance” of beating Steve Clarke’s side.
“No chance,” Ferguson replied. “Scotland isn’t that bad, you know. They have good midfielders, two good full-backs. There have only been difficulties in the striker position in recent years.”
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