In a significant admission, the head of refereeing for the Scottish FA stated that Rangers should have been awarded a penalty during their recent League Cup final clash against Celtic. This comes after a controversial incident in which Celtic defender Liam Scales was deemed to have fouled Vaclav Cerny in the first half of extra-time; however, referee John Beaton ruled the foul occurred just outside the penalty area.
Despite the on-field decision, VAR officials did not intervene, leaving the match tied at 3-3 before Rangers ultimately lost in a penalty shootout. The head of refereeing elaborated, stating, “The holding of Cerny’s shirt begins outside the penalty area and then continues on the line, which should be treated as a penalty kick.”
The day following the match, Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart called on the SFA for an official explanation regarding the lack of a penalty. Rangers manager Philippe Clement also expressed his surprise at the VAR officials’ inaction, calling the situation “really weird.”
As this story develops, further updates and insights will be shared. Stay tuned for the latest developments in Scottish football and the aftermath of this controversial match.
