Derek McInnes receives four-match ban following VAR comments
New Rangers boss Derek McInnes has been given a four-match ban for describing a VAR decision as “disgusting”, reports BritPanorama.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) announced that McInnes would serve a four-match suspension, with one match suspended until the end of the season. This decision followed McInnes’s remarks regarding a controversial stoppage-time penalty awarded to Celtic during his tenure as Hearts manager, which significantly boosted Celtic’s position in the title race ahead of the final matchday.
The incident in question occurred at Fir Park, where referee John Beaton awarded a penalty after a review by VAR official Andrew Dallas. Kelechi Iheanacho converted the penalty, securing a 3-2 victory for Celtic, which altered the dynamics of the championship significantly.
Prior to this incident, Celtic needed only to avoid a significant loss in their final match against Hearts to clinch the league title, a scenario drastically changed by the penalty decision. Following Hearts’ 3-0 win over Falkirk earlier that day, McInnes expressed his outrage at the VAR decision, resulting in the SFA issuing a formal Notice of Complaint.
During Wednesday’s hearing at Hampden, the SFA confirmed the charge against McInnes was upheld. As a result, he will be unable to lead Rangers from the sidelines during an upcoming important stretch that includes matches against Dundee United, Hibernian, and St Mirren.
Former Motherwell player Elliot Watt, now with Samsunspor, received an equivalent ban for similarly criticising the penalty decision, calling it “the worst VAR decision in history” on his social media account. Watt also violated rule 72, which prohibits public criticism of match officials.
Despite these setbacks, McInnes will be available for Rangers’ Europa League qualification matches, starting August 6, as they prepare for a fixture against Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok.
In the fast-paced world of Scottish football, such incidents highlight the fine line managers tread when voicing their opinions, reminding us how the heat of competition can spill over into controversial territory.
