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MANCHESTER, England (AP) -Dick Advocaat steered Rangers to the treble in 1999. A fine feat for a debut season and he's not ready to be eclipsed by current manager Walter Smith.
Smith is chasing four trophies by the end of May, but his toughest obstacle looms Wednesday in the UEFA Cup final - Advocaat's Zenit St. Petersburg side.
Advocaat vacated the Ibrox job in 2001 and is relishing ending the dreams of his former paymasters.
"After this game the circle is closed," Advocaat said. "I've said from the beginning that I would love to play Rangers in the final and it's great that it will happen."
Zenit ousted German powerhouse Bayern Munich 5-1 in the two-legged semifinal.
"We have beaten bigger sides than Rangers," Advocaat said. "And they have beaten much bigger sides than Zenit. Having come this far, there is no reason to be nervous, just play the game and try to win."
Zenit's chances of winning a first European trophy were boosted by Russian soccer officials canceling its league games ahead of the final.
Instead Advocaat took his side to his native Netherlands and played out a 2-2 draw Saturday in a friendly at AZ Alkmaar.
Contrast Russia's acquiesce with Zenit with the hostile treatment Rangers has faced from the Scottish Premier League, which refused to postpone Saturday's fixture with Dundee United, having already played Wednesday.
But three points were claimed from both fixtures to put them within four points of leader Celtic with two games in hand.
The Glasgow side has been frustrated by the lack of help in alleviating the fixture congestion ahead of its first European final since claiming the now-defunct Cup Winner's Cup in 1972.
"When the league ask you to play four games in a week, everybody I have spoken to in England has been laughing at it and laughing at us really," said Rangers midfielder Lee McCulloch, who celebrates his 30th birthday Wednesday. "The schedule has been nothing short of ridiculous. But the games are there, we have got to play them and win them. The demands are high."
Zenit will be the 64th match of a campaign stretching back to last July's Champions League qualification. Now come five matches in less than two weeks in three competitions.
