Celtic will be thankful that manager Brendan Rodgers has avoided a touchline ban for next weekend's Old Firm derby against title rivals Rangers.
Rodgers was understandably handed a ban for his comments about the match officials in Celtic's defeat to Hearts earlier this month - but avoided a two-game suspension and will only be required to sit out this weekend's tie against Livingstone.
Celtic fell to a 2-0 defeat at Hearts on March 3, with Hyun-Jun Yang sent off for the Hoops and Hearts awarded a contentious second-half penalty. After the game, Rodgers said:
I never like to comment on officials. It's not something I do, I've stood here long enough...but that cost us today.
The officiating from onfield to John Beaton on VAR, that was really, really poor.
That there is just absolutely shocking decision making...
🗣️ "That cost us today, the officiating."
🗣️ "You will have to ask John Beaton what he's seeing."
Brendan Rodgers gives his thoughts on Celtic's loss to Hearts and key decisions in the game 🔽 pic.twitter.com/JcPcdONBBl— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 3, 2024
It was always going to be a slam-dunk ban for Rodgers - but Celtic legend Chris Sutton believes he may have been treated unfairly by the SFA's disciplinary team.
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Celtic: Chris Sutton questions treatment of Brendan Rodgers by SFA
Writing in the Daily Record this week, Sutton addressed the decision to ban Rodgers for a game for his comments after Celtic's defeat to Hearts.
Though Sutton agreed that a touchline ban was warranted, he suggested that rival managers have escaped punishment for similar offences this season.
He then went on to extraordinarily call out the "incompetence" of Scottish referees, suggesting that Rodgers had merely been speaking the truth:
I just wonder how come no other manager has copped it this season? Pretty much all of them have been critical of VAR or referees.
I’ve seen strong stuff from Derek McInnes, Steven Naismith, Stuart Kettlewell has recently gone to town and Philippe Clement has taken the odd pop. Neil Warnock was only here a few weeks and moaned about it after most games.
None of those guys ended up in the dock. It seems it’s okay to infer officials are incompetent – but you can’t actually say it. Rodgers just said what they are all thinking – what most of us are thinking.
In courts you can’t get done for defamation if what you say is true. But it doesn’t seem to work that way in the SFA legal system. Even if the officials were incompetent, you are not allowed to say it.
Brendan Rodgers will be missing from the sideline on Sunday when Celtic travel to Livingstone - but will be back in the technical area next week when his side face Rangers at Ibrox.
The Old Firm will likely play a decisive role in deciding where the Scottish Premiership trophy ends up this season. Rangers sit just one point behind Celtic with a game in hand - meaning Rodgers' team can regain the initiative in the title race with victory on the other side of Glasgow next week.
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