PEDRO Caixinha yesterday informed his Rangers players they will only get 10 days holiday this summer - because he is keen for them to be properly prepared for their return to European football next season.
Rangers will, if they finish second or third in the Ladbrokes Premiership or win the William Hill Scottish Cup this term, compete in the first leg of the Europa League first qualifying round on June 29.
Caixinha, who has insisted on his squad working six days a week since being appointed manager earlier this month in an attempt to improve form, believes it will take up to six weeks to get ready for their involvement in that competition.
However, the final Premiership game of the 2016/17 campaign is on May 21 for the top six clubs and Rangers could be involved in the Scottish Cup final on May 27 if they beat Celtic in their semi-final next month.
The Portuguese coach has told his players they will each get less than a fortnight to recharge their batteries before returning to Auchenhowie for pre-season training.
The chance to manage in Europe was one of the attractions of moving to Glasgow for the former Sporting Lisbon, Panathinaikos and Rapid Bucharest assistant and he is obviously determined for his charges to qualify for the group stages.
“Today we said to the players that the 29th of June is going to be our first match, the Europa League first qualifying round, first leg,” he said. “So that needs to go into our plan. We have to organise the squad for that.
“We have the notion that we are going to finish the season on May 27. But to give them a rest period, to prepare them for when they restart that first match next season, normally you need between five to six weeks. That’s more than enough to make them ready to play that first match.
“So from June 29 you work back five or six weeks and you have the date that you are going to start. But that doesn’t fit. I don’t have the time. So we will have only 21 days of preparation. So I can give them only between 10 to 11 days of a vacation. This is the reality we are facing.
“That means that we are trying to organise everything from now until the end of the season in order to start on the right date with everyone on board in the right direction.”
However, Caixinha, who will take charge of his second game as Rangers manager tomorrow when Motherwell visit Ibrox, has been delighted with the response of his charges to the news.
“When I ask the players ‘how many of you have played in the Europa League or Champions League, raise your hand’ only a few raised their hands,” he said. “So they all want to. Top players have to do this and Rangers players are always top players.
“They need to. My experience in Mexico allowed me to deal with this sort of situation. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced it. In Mexico they play short tournaments, six months and six months. Sometimes you don't have those days of vacation.
“Do you know when the others who get to play in the Champions League start? July 11 or 12. So there is not that much difference between one and the other. Are they upset about starting early to play in the Champions League? I don't think so. And neither are we.
“We have a short rest and when they get past the final on May 27th they need to switch off. It's very difficult with this short period of time to release and breath and come back again on day one and start all over again. But that's what they need to do.”
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