ALLY MCCOIST has slammed Scotland's football authorities for their lack of help in Rangers' crucial Champions League preparations.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men face a two-legged play-off against PSV in the coming weeks, with a spot in the group stages of UEFA's top competition at stake.
The Gers legend reckons the like of the Scottish FA should be doing all they can to ensure the Ibrox club have the best possible chance of reaching the Champions League proper.
It comes as PSV had a game postponed by the Dutch federation to allow them additional time to prepare for the upcoming double-header.
And McCoist is adamant the same should be happening in Scotland - as he branded the SFA a "shambles" and "narrow-minded".
Rangers face a trip to Hibs in-between the two games against PSV, whereas the Dutch outfit will enjoy a free weekend.
McCoist referenced the lack of help available to Rangers when they reached the UEFA Cup final under Walter Smith in 2008.
The former Scotland star told talkSPORT: “It’s a shambles. Particularly the Scottish FA. I keep harping back to when Rangers reached the Europa League Final in 2008, it was an absolute embarrassment.
“They made us play five league games in 11 days and there was a UEFA final in between it. The head of the SFA George Peat came out and said another club director said to him ‘don’t help Rangers’.
“I’ve got the quote in front of me. Ex-SFA supremo Peat told the BBC ‘When Rangers got to the final in Manchester, I got a phone call from a prominent chairman of a club requesting me not to help Rangers in any way’.
“That’s what your dealing with. We’re so blinkered and narrow-minded.
“Any Scottish team that has an opportunity to do well in Europe should be helped but there’s none.
"When we played Zenit in 2008 I honestly think they were given three weeks off by their federation and we had to play five league games in 11 days. The Dutch FA want to help their teams.”
