Brendan Rodgers claimed 10-man Celtic’s 2-0 defeat at Hearts was “decided by the officials” as he lamented an early red card for Yang Hyun-jun and the award of the penalty that allowed the hosts to take the lead.
The Hoops arrived at Tynecastle knowing a victory would have taken them back to the top of the cinch Premiership after title rivals Rangers suffered a shock home loss to Motherwell the previous day.
Celtic’s chances were undermined in a dramatic opening quarter of an hour when Adam Idah saw a penalty saved by Hearts goalkeeper Zander Clark a few minutes before Yang was sent off for catching Alex Cochrane in the face with a high boot.
The South Korean was initially yellow-carded before match referee Don Robertson upgraded it to a red after being advised by VAR John Beaton to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Rodgers was further riled when Hearts were awarded a penalty in the 40th minute after a headed clearance from Liam Scales landed on Tomoki Iwata’s arm as he rose to try and head it out of the box. Jorge Grant scored the spot-kick and Lawrence Shankland netted the hosts’ second goal in the 56th minute.
“My feeling is that the game was decided by the officials, on the field and outside of the field,” said Celtic boss Rodgers.
“You guys (the media) will know me long enough to know that I don’t really comment on officials – they make mistakes and whatever else – but today that felt like really really poor officiating.
“The first one is the sending off when there is no force. Show a still image of that and of course you will see a foot up with the head near it, but it’s not the reality of the move.
“Don Robertson actually got it right on the field. It was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card – no malice or force.
“For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was a sending off, I find that incredible.
“The second one (Hearts’ penalty) is worse. If you have a penalty go against you for that then there will be penalties every single weekend and midweek.
“I don’t know what he (Iwata) is supposed to do. Tomo is jumping, he got a nudge, he is coming down, the ball falls on to his arm and there is no intention to move.
“Then you get the penalty against and he gets the chance to look at it and see it. That really left us with an uphill task in the game but credit to my players, they kept going, their keeper has made a few good saves.
“But it was a poor day for the officials. I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt, but when I see that level of incompetence, which is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game.
“In such a tight title race – which it is, and it’s fantastic to be involved in – that can make the difference. And that today made the difference for us.”
Hearts boss Steven Naismith insisted his team deserved their victory and felt both sides were on the receiving end of “soft” penalty awards.
“It was an entertaining game and one I think we deserved to win,” he said.
“There were a lot of action points. Throughout the game at the right times, we played, controlled the game and asked Celtic some questions. I think both penalties are soft.
“Alex puts his foot on the ground and the Celtic forward is the one that kicks him. Ours is this handball rule that nobody is happy with. And I think the red card is a red card.”
Asked if the two debatable penalties effectively cancelled each other out in terms of controversy, Naismith said: “We saved their penalty and scored the one we got.
“Both teams can feel that they were soft but overall we deserved our win comfortably. It was two and it could have been more.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Liverpool & Wirtz now Ange Postecoglou to be sacked by Tottenham Hotspur Feeling old Premier League big team transfer Antony? THIS IS MENTAL The Manchester United pull…Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, FootballLaughss, originaltrollfootball)...
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup debuts in the United States with a fresh format, gathering 32 elite clubs for the pinnacle of inter-club competition. This edition spotlights Group C, which brings together Bundesliga leaders FC Bayern Munich, South American powerhouses Boca Juniors, Primeira Liga giants SL Benfica, and Oceanian dark horses Auckland City FC. These teams, with their diverse and unique s...
According to reports, new Bayer Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is considering signing the Brazilian for Leverkusen this summer.Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen to sign Antony for Bayer LeverkusenTen Hag was in charge at United when Antony arrived for £86m in 2022.But the tricky winger's time in Manchester has been nothing short of a disaster, with Antony even admitting he went days without eatin...
Premier League runners-up Arsenal are now 'advancing' in their attempts to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, according to widespread reports.The Gunners are finally going to sign a new centre-forward this summer with widespread reports claiming that Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have a couple of targets in mind.Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko have...
Arsenal have received a huge boost in their quest to sign 'their main target' in the summer transfer window, with a report revealing that a two-time Champions League winner is 'willing' to move to the Gunners.What promised to be a successful season for Arsenal turned out to be trophyless yet again. Mikel Arteta's side could not last the distance in the race for the Premier League title, and the eu...
Liverpool struggling to agree Kerkez fee with BournemouthLiverpool are struggling to agree a fee with Bournemouth for the signing of full-back Milos Kerkez, per a new report.Per i News, Liverpool have been locked in talks with the Cherries over a deal to sign Kerkez but have yet to agree a fee for the left-back. The 21-year-old is valued at £45 million ($61m) and the Cherries are refusing to ...
Panama v Mexico: Final - CONCACAF Nations LeagueThe Fulham striker dismissed the idea of a true football rivalry between El Tri and La Albiceleste.Chile v Argentina - FIFA World Cup 2026 QualifierWHAT HAPPENED?Raúl Jiménez, striker for Fulham and a regular with the Mexican national team, weighed in on recent remarks made by Lionel Messi regarding the supposed football rivalry between Mex...
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier LeagueThomas Tuchel says he has the "greatest respect" for Ange Postecoglou, but has hinted he understands why Tottenham chose to sack the Australian. WHAT HAPPENED?England boss Tuchel was asked about Postecoglou at his press conference ahead of the Three Lions' World Cup qualifier against Andorra, with the news breaking minutes before...
Tottenham Hotspur FC v Brighton & Hove Albion FC - Premier LeagueTottenham players have been left fuming by the club's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou and his successor may face a player revolt, per a new report.WHAT HAPPENED?Per the Daily Telegraph, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has angered a number of players with his decision to sack Postecoglou on the back of their Europa League triumph. Wh...
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Borussia Mönchengladbach - BundesligaLiverpool have submitted a fresh bid for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, and are now reportedly closer to reaching a deal for the German.WHAT HAPPENED?The Premier League champions have been working hard since the end of the season to sign Bayer Leverkusen's in-demand Wirtz, as they looked to beat the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester...
- 1 Albanian Laura Woods wows fans in Champions League final outfit
- 2 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 3 Marcus Rashford 'grows close' to stunning semi-pro padel player
- 4 Why Premier League transfer may be off the cards for Victor Osimhen as Man Utd make 'timid' attempts to convince striker
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 FIFA confirms 34 team base camp training sites in the United States for 2025 Club World Cup, including nine in Florida and five in Calitornia
- 7 Man Utd continue to be linked with Emi Martinez
- 8 Daily Laugh - Mbeumo and his amazing talent
- 9 Liverpool's dream transfer window with six signings including £100m striker
- 10 Chukwueze reveals cause of AC Milan’s ‘disastrous’ season