Celtic were fully deserving of their Scottish Premiership victory against Hearts on Saturday, a match that saw the Bhoys secure a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Arne Engels and Luke McCowan.
This victory marked Celtic’s sixth consecutive win at the start of the 2024-25 season, continuing their impressive form.
However, the game was not without controversy, particularly surrounding the use of VAR. Hearts manager Steven Naismith was left frustrated by a penalty decision awarded to Celtic, which allowed Engels to score.
Naismith argued that the decision was questionable, pointing to an earlier incident involving Celtic’s Liam Scales, where a handball decision was overturned after it was deemed that the ball had struck him above the “t-shirt line.”
In both instances, VAR was called into play, and after reviewing the footage, the referees reversed their original on-field decisions, awarding Celtic a penalty in the first instance but not penalising Scales in the latter.
Naismith’s dissatisfaction was clear, yet Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers defended the decisions and offered his perspective on the incidents.
Brendan Rodgers on Celtic’s Penalty and VAR Decisions
Speaking to the press, Rodgers expressed his understanding of Naismith’s frustration, particularly given how crucial the first goal can be in shaping the outcome of a match.
“Steven finds it hard because he knows how important the first goal is to the game,” Rodgers said.
“Hearts will have something to hold on to if it goes to them. Things will be different in the game if it goes to us.”
Rodgers was quick to underline that the rules regarding handball were clearly applied in both cases.
“It’s pretty clear what the rules are; they were wrestling, and the ball went over and hit him on the sleeve,” h e explained.
“Everyone thinks that’s not a punishment, but you want it. That makes sense to me.”
Rodgers also elaborated on the second incident, stating:
“For the second episode, the law says that if your arms are up and away from the silhouette, you are breaking the law. That’s how it turned out. Some people think it’s unfair if you don’t get it and the other team does, but I thought the judge and officials did a great job in those two games.”
He further emphasised the importance of VAR in such situations.
“That’s why VAR exists. I believe he made his choice because it was quick. He thinks it’s a handball when the arm is out. That’s why we have VAR: the guys in the studio will look at it and say, ‘Not quite.’ In the same way that our goal was thrown out, that was a great call. It was barely offside, but it was still offside.”
Rodgers was adamant that the officials had handled the incidents correctly, saying, “I believed the officials did a great job. VAR did what it was meant to do.”
VAR and Fairness
The controversy surrounding the use of technology in Scottish football continues, with many questioning how effectively it is being implemented. However, as long as the referees apply the laws of the game correctly, the system serves its purpose.
In this case, VAR worked as it should. While it’s unfortunate that the on-field referee made incorrect calls initially, the reviews corrected those errors.
Hearts may feel hard done by, especially given the fine margins involved, but the decisions were ultimately just. There is little ground for complaints, as both calls were reviewed and adhered to the rules, ensuring fairness in the outcome.