THE man described by Rangers chairman David Murray as their ''biggest
signing'', Basile Boli, yesterday acknowledged that he had turned down a
huge offer from Genoa in Italy in favour of the prospect of playing in
the Champions League next season.
The Marseilles defender, who scored the goal that beat AC Milan in the
final of the European Cup two seasons ago, chose the Ibrox club because
they, unlike the Italians, have a chance of emulating his French side's
feat, which, it has to be said, was devalued by the subsequent
disqualification of Marseille as a result of corruption.
Murray's assessment of the Boli signing was not based on finance as,
even at #2.7m, he is not the dearest player bought by the club -- Duncan
Ferguson and Brian Laudrup cost more -- but on the Frenchman's standing
in the game throughout Europe.
As a Champions Cup winner with 55 caps for his country to his name,
Boli, indeed, is a rare acquisition and his own observation that he is
the first Frenchman to play in Scotland demonstrates a sense of history
which will be useful once he gets used to his new environment.
''Eric Cantona has been a very good representative for France in
England and I would like to do the same in Scotland.''
Cantona, in fact, has spoken to him on the phone and congratulated him
on his move to Ibrox. ''People in France have been saying that I am the
type of player who could do well in Britain and I wanted to find out if
they are right.''
With Laudrup already in the fold, at a cost of #2.8m, Rangers have
spent #5.5m in the close season to prove to their army of customers that
they have no intention of letting the standards slip.
Asked if the transfer dealing was over for the time being, the
chairman replied: ''Don't you think that is enough? We have done more in
a couple of weeks than the rest of Scottish football in five years.''
Allowing for a touch of hyperbole from an owner who was entitled to be
a bit excited about business done, Murray was not so far away from the
truth in that it would need a fair combination of others' business to
match the Ibrox expenditure.
More important, perhaps, is that the addition of Boli, a player
generally regarded as among the very best defenders in Europe, does take
the club into a different dimension. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were
very interested in his future while Genoa's late bid would have been so
lucrative that it would not have been matched by Rangers.
''He showed that money isn't everything -- although he is being well
paid by us -- and he wanted to play for Rangers,'' said Murray.
Boli, who apologised for his English, yet was able to converse well
enough, said that the major motivation in joining Rangers was to again
win the Champions Cup. ''You need skill, experience, good tactics, and
good players to do that and I think Rangers are capable of it.''
He named a few of his new colleagues as proof, Richard Gough, Ally
McCoist, Trevor Steven, and, not surprisingly, Mark Hateley. ''Hateley
and I had a 'war' when we played each other. Now, I am on his side and
we are friends.''
Mark might be among the more delighted of the current Ibrox players at
the arrival in Glasgow of this tough, but brilliant, player who, unless
things go badly awry, will bring an exciting continental flavour to
Rangers' play.
He insists that he will have no problem with referees, although some
of us might suggest he ain't seen nothin' yet.
He was not entirely stunned when the news that Rangers were interested
reached him. ''Tottenham and Arsenal already had made approaches,'' he
said, ''and I spoke to Mr Sugar of Tottenham. But they had too many
other problems.''
Boli, who has signed a three-year contract, has had his problems with
the French international side in the past but is back in favour and,
although it has been reported that he has declared himself finished with
the national team, he said that it would be best to ''wait and see''.
He looks forward to the physical side of Scottish football, and that
should come as no surprise to those who have seen this powerful athlete
in action, and is keen to become part of the ''fighting spirit'' that is
seen as a major factor in Rangers' make-up.
''I did not come to Glasgow just because I like the town,'' he said.
''I want to play at the highest level and that is the Champions Cup.''
Laudrup already had said something similar and it becomes clear that
being part of that elite grouping now attracts star players very nearly
as much as the cash rewards themselves.
The onus on Rangers to win their preliminary tie which would open the
door into the real thing thus becomes heavy, even if the chairman has
made provision for failure, a word he would not contemplate at this
stage.
The possibility that another foreigner, Brondby's Marc Reiper, will be
joining the club remains, even if Murray has stepped back from paying
the fee requested by the Danish club. ''We will not pay what they want
for him,'' he said, ''but I would like to think he will still be here in
due course.''
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