Rangers spent a lot of money buying players over the summer in a bid to make a competitive assault on Europe this season, but AEK dominated all Wednesday night and only several fine saves from Rangers' goalkeeper Andy Goram prevented a bigger margin.
In other games, Paris Saint-Germain headed in three goals to overpower scoreless Hungarian team VAC Samsung in Paris and Czech champion Sparta Praha beat IFK Goeteborg of Sweden 1-0 in Jablonec.
The Parisians should face a tougher away match in Hungary without Patrick Colleter who received a red card for stomping VAC midfielder Tibor Sallai in a fiery match in which Gabor Puglits and Imre Aranyos of VAC were shown yellow cards. PSG dominated throughout the match with Raymundo Ricardo Gomes opening the scoring in the 30th minute and second-half goals to Georges Weah and Allain Roche.
In Jablonec, Goetberg's cautious approach cost it when Vaclav Budka scored the winner with a left-footed bomb across Thomas Ravelli's goal in the 89th minute.
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Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla said on Wednesday he had given up international soccer after a teammate was murdered following Colombia's humiliating early exit from the World Cup.
Defender Andres Escobar was shot dead outside a restaurant in his native Medellin after he scored an own goal in Colombia's 2-1 shock defeat to the United States in the first round of the World Cup. "I don't think it is worth risking my life just to play on the national team," Asprilla said. "After what happened to my friend, I will never return to the national squad. I have closed my account with Colombia."
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Soccer star Diego Maradona must stand trial for shooting at reporters with a compressed air rifle last February, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Maradona, 34, faces preliminary charges of "causing threats and injuries with a weapon," Julio Campora, the investigating judge, told the official news agency Telam.
If found guilty, the retired midfielder faces up to a year in prison. Maradona will not be arrested, Campora said.
In February, Maradona shot a compressed air rifle at reporters gathered around his villa in Moreno.
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English soccer club Newcastle United bought Belgium World Cup defender Philippe Albert on Wednesday for 2.65 million pounds ($3.9 million).
Albert signed a four-year deal with Newcastle after playing the last two seasons with Belgian first division club Anderlecht.
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Brazilian defender and World Cup star Jorginho plans to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the upcoming season and could join the new U.S. professional league. "Six years in Germany are enough," Jorginho said. (AP, Reuters)
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