Rangers enter Armenia as parliamentary brawl goes viral amid regional tensions

Rangers have undertaken a 7000-mile round trip into the unknown as the club visits Armenia to conclude their Europa League Playoff with Alashkert.

But whilst completely unrelated, Rangers have arrived in the country as a fight in the Armenian parliament goes viral on the internet.

There was a mass brawl in the Armenian parliament as tensions that have lingered following last year's defeat in the war with Azerbaijan for control of Nagorno-Karabakh came to a head | Read more: https://t.co/xoo3PA89KF pic.twitter.com/2McgRm1IUu

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 25, 2021

Full-blown brawls broke out in the country’s parliament as tensions continue to rise over a peace deal with nearby neighbours Azerbaijan.

The country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has faced a sizeable backlash for giving up areas within a region known as Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the negotiations.

This is an area that has been under Armenian control for decades and clearly there is a tense political situation in the country with tensions beginning to boil.

Both sides of the divide continue to trade blame over the loss of the region and the brawl came after an earlier scuffle saw water bottles and hand sanitisers removed from the room after being used as missiles.

According to RTE, the brawl appears to have been sparked by one of the Prime Minister’s party attempting to kick an opposition politician.

“Armenia has been in political crisis since the defeat in the six-week war over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh last autumn that claimed around 6,500 lives,” reads the report.

“The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire that saw Azerbaijan take control of parts of Karabakh and surrounding districts which Armenian forces controlled since 1994.”

For Rangers and their fans, the focus will be squarely on the football but it’s not Gers fans’ first exposure to Armenian politics.

There is much anger in Armenia regarding the peace deal as Rangers enter the country. (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Rangers supporters wound up Galatasaray fans by sporting the Armenian flag on social media, the country’s historic conflict with Turkey worsened by the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We’re going to stay out of this one but let’s just hope the Rangers team get in and out with a place in the Europa League group stages.

The Gers are depleted for the match amid a Covid-19 outbreak with no fewer than eight youth players making the trip to Armenia.