The Ivorian was given his marching orders on matchday one against Belgian side Genk
16:50, 05 Nov 2025Updated 19:35, 05 Nov 2025
The boot of Auston Trusty of Celtic catches Jack Butland of Rangers in the head
Mohamed Diomande says he let his Rangers team-mates down by being sent off in their Europa League opener.
And now the Ibrox midfielder wants to make up for lost time by helping them put their first points on the board against Roma.
The 24-year-old was shown a red card against Belgian side Genk on matchday one when Gers lost 1-0.
That earned the Ivorian a two-game ban, which saw him sit out further defeats to Sturm Graz and Brann Bergen away.
Diomande admits it was torture watching those ties on TV and that’s why he wants to play his part in a victory over the Italian giants.
Ahead of their clash in Govan, he said: “It has been difficult for me.
“I know that in the first game I let my team down because I got a red card.
“It was a bit harsh. But watching the games from home because they had two away games – it was very difficult to see how hard it was for my team.
Referee Matej Jug awards Rangers’ Mohamed Diomande with a red card (Image: SNS Group)
“I just wished I was there and I could do something but I couldn’t.
“So I had to support them from home. It was difficult because I felt a bit down about it.
“We have not had a good start in the European campaign like we did last season.
“We are all looking forward to playing well in Europe again and giving our fans the belief that we can go far like we did a year ago.
“We’ve had two managers already and three games in Europe, which is not good.
“But with this manager we are confident as we try and get the first win in Europe this season.
“I hope it’s going to be the first one on a good run because we have five more games.
“We will try to improve our position and get in a good spot to qualify.”
Rangers face a mammoth task to reach the knock-out phase after three losses on the spin.
If Danny Rohl’s men don’t get a victory against Roma, qualification will be impossible so Diomande knows how vital a win could be.
He said: “We try to win every game and we NEED to win every game here.
“It’s going to be an important one for us because there are not a lot of games left.
“Roma is a good opponent so it’s going to be difficult. It’s a match we have to win.”
Diomande is still dusting himself down after Sunday’s Old Firm loss to Celtic at Hampden.
The club and its supporters feel there was a miscarriage of justice when ref Nick Walsh failed to send off Hoops defender Auston Trusty for kicking keeper Jack Butland in the head.
Diomande was shown a red card by the same official at Tannadice last season when he grazed a Dundee United player’s face after being pushed.
And the Ibrox midfielder is convinced that Trusty should have suffered the same fate.
He said: “He is the one making the final decision. I wouldn’t sit here and say he made the right decision about a lot of things that happened in the game on Sunday.
“But it’s done and the club has made a statement. From what I saw on Jack’s face, I think it was a red card.
“Maybe if this happens often, there’s a question you can ask. I’m not the one who can give the answer.
“I hope they’re going to find the answers to the decision he made.
“My teammates didn’t talk about my red card against Dundee United and I wouldn’t say I was really angry.
“But I saw that step on my teammates’ face. And obviously, there’s a reaction because I want to protect my teammate.”