RANGERS have accepted the invitation from Dutch champions Ajax to take part in a six-a-side tournament in the Amsterdam Arena later this month.

The Dutch side, who defeated Rangers twice in the Champions' League this season, asked them to return to Holland for the launch of their new competition. Rangers will play against the hosts as well as Liverpool and AC Milan.

The tournament has been scheduled to run for at least three years and has attracted four other top-name European sides for the second event in a year's time. Rangers will be there again, because it has been decided by the organisers that those who take part in the initial competition will have a permanent invitation.

The games will be played on January 27 and 28 and all the clubs will receive around #120,000 for taking part with the same sum available for the winners. There will also be prize-money of around #90,000 dropping to #30,000 for the next three places.

The competition has been given official UEFA approval and television rights around the world have already been sold.

A spokesman for the organisers in Amsterdam said yesterday: ``All of the games will be played, obviously, on a smaller pitch than usual, but we are still working on the final specifications with the technical advisers.

``Johan Cruyff, Kenny Dalglish and Louis van Gaal are involved and this means that we have an opportunity to see what Barcelona and Ajax and Liverpool would want to develop the technique of their players.

``Everything about the games here will be based on technical ability. Each team will have 11 players stripped for every game. Six of them will play and five will be substitutes and the matches will last for four eight-minute spells with substitutions being allowed at any time.''

Members of the UEFA Technical Commission, who have given the competition their blessing, will attend in a watching brief.

Already the indications are that both nights will be sold out and television coverage will be worldwide. The spokesman added: ``As well as various countries in Europe the games will be shown in Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. But we are convinced that more TV sales are on the way.

``As well as the football there is going to be live entertainment available on each of the two nights. This is going to be a major event and it will grow very quickly.''

Next year, at the same time, Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid will definitely join the inaugural four, but there are plans to make the whole affair a worldwide event with teams travelling from South America.

The matches will be played on grass at the ultra-modern stadium on the outskirts of Amsterdam where the pitch can be protected by the retractable roof which has been built to cover the spectators and the playing area.

Rangers will travel to Holland 24 hours after their first defence of the Scottish Cup against St Johnstone at Ibrox.

q RANGERS' #3.5m signing Sebastian Rozental, who could make his European debut for the club in the Amsterdam tournament, was mobbed by thousands of fans when he arrived back in Chile.

Rozental is in South America for the World Cup qualifying tie against Peru on Sunday and his arrival at Santiago Airport was met with a reception normally reserved for superstars.

Rozental had to fight his way through a scrimmage of fans and media when he landed after a gruelling flight. He later told the Chilean press that he could not wait to get started in Scotland.

He said: ``My first impression of football in Scotland is that it is very fast and very physical. I feel it will be extremely demanding for me, but I am confident I can cope with the pressure.

``I'm optimistic about my future in Scotland, because I have confidence in my own ability. The one day I trained with the team I thought I did well and felt very comfortable.

``I have been told I will make my debut on January 18, probably as a substitute.''