Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart is seeking an explanation from the Scottish FA over the failure to award a penalty in Sunday’s exhilarating League Cup final defeat to Celtic.
After a hugely entertaining 120 minutes of action ended with the two teams deadlocked at 3-3, Celtic emerged victorious from the resulting penalty shootout after Ridvan Yilmaz failed to convert from 12 yards.
But there was controversy during the game when Liam Scales felled Vaclav Cerny, leading to referee John Beaton awarding a free-kick just outside of the penalty area. Video assistant referee Alan Muir agreed that the infringement had not taken place in Celtic’s box, much to the chagrin of Rangers’ players and staff.
Sky Sports News report that Stewart, who briefly held a similar role at Manchester United before departing the club he served for 18 years, has immediately asked the Scottish FA for clarification over the decision, having been in his new job at Ibrox for just a day.
“I don’t know if you saw the images back, but my phone is overloaded with the penalty situation with Cerny. I get hundreds of messages now about that. That’s also a really decisive moment in the game,” Rangers boss Phillippe Clement said after the game.
“Of course, he [the referee] cannot see that moment. But he didn’t get the communication from the VAR to come to watch the screen, which for me is a really weird situation. At least there’s no look about that kind of situation in this kind of game, about the situation that the referee can make a decision in that way.”
Rangers had fought valiantly to get back into the game, twice coming from behind to draw level. They actually opened the scoring four minutes before half-time through Nedim Bajrami, only to see the tables turned by two quick-fire goals from Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda.
Mohamed Diomande’s equaliser a quarter of an hour from time looked like it would be in vein as Nicolas Kuhn restored Celtic‘s advantage with 87 minutes on the clock, but substitute Danilo immediately drew Rangers level to send the game to extra time and eventually penalties.
Yilmaz’s missed spot kick was the fourth Rangers took in the shootout, with Celtic converting all five of their efforts to win the League Cup for the 22nd time in their storied history.