Frankfurt Are the Home Side
The German team have drawn the home team position for the final in Seville, which takes place on May 18th. They will take on the Scottish side, Rangers, who have already taken out two German clubs. Frankfurt has a higher overall ranking, but Rangers must fancy their chances. Frankfurt are struggling to make headway in the Bundesliga.
Frankfurt will face Rangers in the Europa Cup Final on 18th May in Sevilla. ©jorono/Pixabay
Frankfurt Are the Home Side
Eintracht Frankfurt will take up the role of ‘home side’ when they meet Rangers next week for the Europa Cup final in Seville. They will be hoping that this gives them the ‘home advantage’, but in reality, it just means that in the event of a kit clash, they are the ones who play in their first choice colors. While both teams include red and white in their team colors, Rangers will want to wear royal blue jerseys and Frankfurt black. This could be the cause of a potential clash if both teams have dark tops and white shorts.
Who Wiill Be Wearing What Colors?
Things get a bit complicated though because Rangers’ second choice kit is black. So it may be that if Frankfurt do not agree to play in their away colors of a red shirt, that Rangers will have to play in a unique kit for the day.
Football writer Jordan Campbell has said on his Twitter feed that a decision is imminent.
“Understand that a decision on the kits Frankfurt and Rangers will wear in the Europa League final is expected to be made today or tomorrow. Frankfurt are the ‘home’ side, so if Rangers’ blue kits are deemed to clash with Germans’ black, then another option will have to be found. Rangers’ away kit is black, and the third kit has black shorts. Some have suggested wearing all blue, but a colleague of mine who is colourblind says black vs blue is problematic. If it’s decided they need to register a new kit: White 150th or new orange one?”
What Do UEFA Rules Say?
Article 9 of EUFA’s equipment rules say that if the third kit would also create a color clash then the UEFA administration decides on what each team will wear in consultation with the referee.
It also says that “In order to minimise colour clashes, there must be a clear contrast between each team’s first-choice and second-choice outfield player attires, to the extent that they could be worn by opposing teams in a match.”
“If one playing attire comprises predominantly dark colours, the other must comprise predominantly light colours, or if one of the playing attires is hooped, banded, striped or checked, the other must not contain either of the colours of the hoops/bands/stripes/checks.”
Some Color Statistics
Ironically, Frankfurt might actually find it to their advantage to concede on their’ home advantage’ regarding kit choice as their away shirt for the season is red. History shows that the most successful teams in European football wear a red strip. The trouble with this reasoning is that it relates to the Euros and not the Europa Cup.
However, it is an interesting statistic that according to UEFA website red is the color that six sides have worn when they hoisted the cup as winners. The dilemma, however, is that six sides also have worn red as the losersin the final.
The only colors with a positive record are bluewith four wins and three defeats, and a team wearing orange has won once and never lost. With blue and orange potential Rangers colors, it could be seen that the odds might swing in their favor. Based on the color logic, no team would choose a white strip at more sides have lost wearing a white strip than have won.
Frankfurt Are the Favorites
Regardless of colors, Frankfurt are the favorites to win the cup, having not lost a match in their campaign to reach the final. They did trail Real Betis after normal time in the second leg of their meet with the Spanish side. However, they went on to beat them in extra time. Frankfurt also eliminated Barcelona in the last eight, which was no mean feat.
Frankfurt claimed the UEFA Cup in 1980 when they beat their fellow Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach thanks to away goals. This season their UEFA ranking is 27. However, their home record is not so impressive this season, and they sit at a dismal 12th place in the Bundesliga. Winning for them would have the added advantage of progressing them to the 2022/23 Champions League group stages. They will not qualify for Europe next season based on their domestic record.
Reaching the final unbeaten could be a good omenfor Frankfurt. They are only the third team to reach the final without a defeat on the path. In the 2018/19 season, Chelsea did the same and went on to win the trophy. Last season Villareal became Champions after an unbeaten run to the finals.
Can Rangers Win?
Rangers are no strangers to European success, but it has been fifty years since they were the European Cup Winners Cup holders. In 1972 they beat Dynamo Moscow 3-2in the final, which was held in Barcelona.
This season, Rangers had a slow start in the tournament’s group stages, but their campaign finally came to life in the knock-out stages. On their trail to reach the final two, they have already beaten two German teams. First the much-fancied Borussia Dortmund and then Leipzig in the semi-finals to prevent an all-German final clash.
They will be hoping to claim a German hattrick when they face Frankfurt in Seville. However, their lower UEFA ranking at 34 should not see them written off as potential winners. Rangers are accustomed to winning being the fifty times holders of their national league title.
The final is being played at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium in Sevilla, Spain, on May 18th. Kick-off is at 21.00 hours local time.
