When Gascoigne was the ranger in Glasgow

Times were different. Football Notes did not exist, Mark had no digital editing and Twitter or YouTube were a chimera. International football justito know what, just what we read in magazines, parties that we saw in the recently released Champions League and what we had on the day after the guy who called himself as the legendary AC Milan left-back. There we could see Shearer's goals in the Premiership, the genius of a young Del Piero in the calcium or the last flashes of Francescoli in Argentina. But there was also room for a league like Scotland, and in Glasgow, home of the two largest of the land, playing Paul Gascoigne, who wearing the shirt of Rangers showed that they would be his last years of that great football emanating from his boots and never accompanied his head. now both live difficult moments: the club for their economic problems, which forced him to re-founded in the Scottish third category, the player, for that bad head that prevented their full potential and that today is prey to their addictions. But today we remember those years when they lived great moments together.

Gascoigne was already an established star in England, one of the most talented players in the country, but also a player off the field thanks to a substantial collection of bad habits that accompanied him since his debut with the shirt of Newcastle, back in 1984, until he hung up his boots in 2005 wearing the colors of Boston United. Gazza had shone defending the colors of Newcastle Tottenham first and later who had signed despite Ferguson's attempts to turn it into red devil. Curious couple that have formed with Eric Cantona. Also for England, which he completed with a great World Cup 1990 which earned him to be part of the tournament's Best XI. The Gazzamanía was already a constant in the Islands. However, injuries and off-court issues undermining performance. He then, in 1992, the offer from Lazio Calcio from the then all-powerful, and Gascoigne caught at the idea of testing his mettle outside England.

After the Roman club pay a high price for his signing, Gazza broke days after cruciate ligament injury and scored in excess that later performance. It was a bad way to start your Italian adventure, to which may not help either that his presentation will comment on Sergio Cragnotti, the capo Latium, that her daughter had nice breasts. Gascoigne never showed his football in Calcio hard and after three seasons in excess irregular, decided it was time for a change of pace, and that's when the Rangers came calling in 1995. At Ibrox Park, Paul turned to meet his privileged vision, with millimetric passes between the lines, with their accurate shooting. With his talent. 1996 was a good year for him: besides recovering much of that version that showed before joining Lazio became the fan favorite, won the Scottish league and cup, was named man of competition and was heading for England to host the European Championship, where they reached the semifinals Pross and Gascoigne was included in the team of the tournament thanks to their performances and a goal to remember .

In Glasgow coincided with another player of great talent like Dane Brian Laudrup, who landed in Scotland after failing to shine in Milan. Between the two formed a society full of good football that was in the German midfielder Jorg Albertz imposing a partner luxury. On defense lived an old acquaintance of the Spanish fans as Björklund, central good after his Scottish adventure ficharía by Valencia. The Swede shared with the Italians behind Negri and Porrini. In goal was the everlasting Andy Goram, who played until 40. Was that a good team that dominated in Scotland but would not have much luck in Europe, where good teams succumb as Van Gaal's Ajax, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund Lippi.

But news Gascoigne was only rarely for their football, and Scotland would not be less. Thus, its image by removing the yellow card after a referee caérselas to collect soil and it went around the world, but mostly was sounded their particular celebration of a goal at Old Fim, the old Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers that surely will be missed in the Scottish League. A Gazza could not think of anything but hold a much pretending to play a flute, as in the Protestant marches controversial Orange Order, clearly anti-Catholic. The Catholic Celtic fans as he cataloged the number one sheep in Scotland, while the Rangers Protestant swore eternal love. So he came to Gascoigne death threat more radical followers of Celtic, who urged him to leave Scotland with immediate effect. Gascoigne had already left his signature in the Scottish league, both for good and for bad.

In his second year at Glasgow repeated league title and also lifted the League Cup. In its first year had marked, without being a scorer, 14 goals in 28 games, while in the second scored 13 in 26. A goal every two games. In his third and final year at Ibrox Park performance fell considerably and its decline was already apparent. Gazza had left many evenings of good football, but his weight and not let bad habits to accompany. In the latter year, Glasgow noticed his poor form and lost hegemony in favor of Celtic, which recover the title after nine years of Protestant domination.

This past year Gascoigne had a new teammate : a young Italian of 19 years with scowling, I used to complain and protest in Italian as did not speak a word of English and who claimed to be a Scot born by chance in Calabria. Gattuso was called, and the day of his presentation he asked who was this woman who appeared in all the pictures. The Queen of England, he said. Rhino had a complicated character and nerves easily lost, but Gascoigne found the remedy: a couple of slaps. The young Italian was not spared either Gazza's jokes, as when filled his stool or falsified socks petitioned the club to double their English classes. After problems with Advocaat, coach of the club then, Gattuso left the Glasgow become an idol for the fans and never forget that year nor his farewell: President David Murray invited him to his house to finalize the transfer to Salernitana and there found, nothing less, with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. negotiating a transfer and I tea 007ofreciéndome said.

Gascoigne also left the club that year, like Brian Laudrup, after playing 74 games and score 30 goals. The Glasgow then took out a needed renovation in the template and it joined the Gio van Bronckhorst, German goalkeeper Stefan Klos or Central Scottish Hendry. Gascoigne returned to England to sign for Middlesbrough but never recovered except isolated actions level.'s Character began to win the game by a player and his problems with alcohol were becoming progressively larger. It was always a prey to the English press, hungry for characters like former English footballer. Today Gascoigne is still to get rid of their addictions while the team attempts to return as Rangers Football Club, in the top flight of Scottish football. Two of those difficult roads were once big hand.