---
title: "Unseen Thelo Aasgaard ‘ignores’ Rangers boss Derek McInnes amid Conference League nightmare"
canonical: "https://readrangers.com/2026/08/28/unseen-thelo-aasgaard-ignores-derek-mcinnes/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Rangers News"
published: "2026-08-28T08:43:56Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T16:02:01Z"
---

# Unseen Thelo Aasgaard ‘ignores’ Rangers boss Derek McInnes amid Conference League nightmare

This story is now three weeks old, but it continues to draw questions from supporters. As of this update in mid-September 2026, the facts remain as first reported: [Thelo Aasgaard](https://readrangers.com/squad/thelo-aasgaard/) appeared to ignore instructions from Derek McInnes during Rangers’ Conference League exit, according to BBC Sport Scotland’s live commentary, and nothing further has been confirmed by the club since.

## H2: September 2026 update: Thelo Aasgaard touchline incident against Jablonec

Rangers’ Conference League campaign ended on August 27, 2026, when they lost a penalty shoot-out to FK Jablonec. The tie went to extra time at Ibrox, and it was during that period that the touchline exchange between McInnes and Aasgaard was picked up by broadcast commentary.

Since our [initial report on the exchange](https://readrangers.com/2026/08/28/unseen-thelo-aasgaard-ignores-derek-mcinnes/), no club statement has addressed the moment directly. The available account still rests on what was heard during the BBC’s live coverage of the game.

## H2: Touchline exchange during Conference League exit

Aasgaard came on as a 60th-minute substitute for [Vanja Dragojevic](https://readrangers.com/squad/vanja-dragojevic/), with the tie level and Rangers needing a way through against a well-organised Jablonec side. The match went the distance and then into extra time before penalties settled it.

It was late in that extra period when BBC commentator Alasdair Lamont described McInnes trying to get his player back into position. Lamont said the manager was

> urging Thelo Aasgaard to get back in, and he is virtually ignoring his manager.

Moments later, Lamont noted Aasgaard

> trotting back into the middle of the park

as the game moved towards its shoot-out conclusion. That is the full extent of what was captured on air, and it forms the basis of everything reported since.

## H2: Aasgaard’s role and recent Rangers form under McInnes

Aasgaard’s season had already followed an unusual path before the Jablonec tie. He returned to Rangers early from a post-World Cup break and was rewarded with a goal in the opening-day draw against Dundee United, a promising sign after a disrupted summer.

His game time since has been more restricted. Following the first-leg defeat to Jagiellonia, Aasgaard was named among the substitutes for three successive matches rather than starting, and his introduction against Jablonec fits that recent pattern of appearances from the bench.

McInnes has had several midfield combinations to weigh up this season, and our look at [McInnes’ options across the midfield](https://readrangers.com/2026/06/27/cammy-devlin-rangers-mcinnes-midfield-test/) gives useful context on how competitive that part of the squad has become.

## H2: Did Thelo Aasgaard ignore Derek McInnes during Rangers’ European exit?

Based on the available evidence, Aasgaard appeared to delay following McInnes’ instruction during extra time, according to BBC Sport Scotland’s live commentary. Whether this amounted to genuine disobedience or simply a slow reaction in a tense, physically demanding passage of play has not been confirmed either way.

Alasdair Lamont’s commentary is the only direct account of the moment, and it was offered live rather than as considered analysis after the fact. Rangers have made no official comment on the incident, and there is no evidence of any disciplinary process arising from it. Readers should treat the broadcast description as exactly that: a commentator’s live impression, not a confirmed club position.

Anyone wanting the full context of how this was first reported can read our [original report on the touchline incident](https://readrangers.com/2026/08/28/unseen-thelo-aasgaard-ignores-derek-mcinnes/), published the day after the Jablonec defeat.

## H2: What happens next

With Rangers now out of Europe for the season, attention turns fully to domestic competition, where McInnes must decide how Aasgaard fits into his plans. The player’s recent role as a substitute suggests he is currently behind others in the pecking order, though a return to the starting line-up remains possible if form and fitness allow.

No further comment has come from the club on the touchline moment itself, and nothing suggests that will change. Read Rangers F.C. will update this story if McInnes, Aasgaard or the club address the incident directly.