By the time Rangers leave the Olympic Stadium in Athens on Wednesday night, the only thing that will matter is ensuring they’ve kept the flame burning in this year’s Champions League campaign.
As their charter flight touched down in this ancient city yesterday evening, the mercury was still nudging 40 degrees. Without a breath of wind in the air, it felt even hotter.
Many of those who’d arrived in advance from Scotland to support them would have found the heat uncomfortably oppressive.
Professional athletes are trained to perform in such conditions, but they are only human.