Bocanegra made his debut for Rangers against NK Maribor on August 18, 2011, in a UEFA Europa League qualifier. His involvement in this match later caused controversy when Maribor filed a complaint to UEFA regarding the eligibility of Bocanegra's appearance, questioning whether he had the required clearance and paperwork. The protest was rejected by UEFA on August 24 as Maribor did not submit it within twenty-four hours of the match. The club's chief later described the complaint by Maribor regarding Bocanegra's eligibility as 'pathetic mischief making'. He scored his first goal for Rangers in the second leg of the Maribor tie as Rangers crashed out 3–2 on aggregate.