diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 235b5d59bf9..fe7a8ccd2e6 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@
 #  DOCKER_HUB_ACCESS_KEY: Access Key or Password of the docker user
 #
 #
+#  DESY env: we use rancher2 based cluster. User rancher cli to create namespace to bind to the project
+#
+#  RANCHER_SERVER: rancher server endpoint
+#  RANCHER_TOKEN: rancher access token
+#  RANCHER_CONTEXT: associated rancher project
+#
 #
 #  KUBECONFIG: env file that contains kubernetes configuration to access the cluster
 #
@@ -69,7 +75,13 @@ default:
 .kubernetes_image:
   extends: .kubernetes_tags
   image: bitnami/kubectl:latest
-  
+
+.rancher_image:
+  extends: .kubernetes_tags
+  image: rancher/cli2
+  before_script:
+    - rancher login ${RANCHER_SERVER} --token ${RANCHER_TOKEN} --context ${RANCHER_CONTEXT}
+
 .helm_image:
   extends: .kubernetes_tags
   image:
@@ -321,10 +333,9 @@ upload_container:
 #
 prepare_k8s_env:
   stage: testenv_pre
-  extends: .kubernetes_image
+  extends: .rancher_image
   script:
-    - kubectl create namespace ${K8S_NAMESPACE}
-
+    - rancher namespaces create ${K8S_NAMESPACE}
 
 #
 # collect all logs
@@ -348,12 +359,12 @@ collect_logs:
 #
 cleanup_k8s_env:
   stage: testenv_post
-  extends: .kubernetes_image
+  extends: .rancher_image
   needs:
     - collect_logs
   when: always
   script:
-    - kubectl delete namespace ${K8S_NAMESPACE} --grace-period=1 --ignore-not-found=true
+    - rancher namespaces delete ${K8S_NAMESPACE}
 
 #
 # infrastructure required to run dCache
@@ -470,4 +481,4 @@ pynfs_tests:
   artifacts:
     reports:
       junit:
-        - "xunit*.xml"
\ No newline at end of file
+        - "xunit*.xml"