Following the League Cup defeat, there was a slightly gain in form as the side claimed sixteen points from twenty-one, including a 1–1 Old Firm draw thanks to a late-minute Brahim Hemdani equaliser. Rangers also became the first Scottish club to qualify from the UEFA Cup group stage in December 2006, after wins over Livorno, Maccabi Haifa and Partizan Belgrade. Domestic results and performances, however, continued to be inconsistent and in January 2007, Le Guen controversially stripped midfielder Barry Ferguson of the captaincy