Rangers slam VAR picks after Scottish League Cup final error

Rangers slam VAR picks after Scottish League Cup final error

Rangers have questioned the selection of two officials as video assistant referees (VARs) for the upcoming round of Scottish Premiership action after the pair in question failed to award a penalty in their Scottish League Cup final defeat to Celtic earlier this month.

The final finished 3-3 after extra time before Celtic claimed the trophy via a penalty shootout. However, the Scottish FA’s head of refereeing admitted in the days after the game that Alan Muir and assistant Frank Connor, working as the VARs for the game, should have overturned referee John Beaton’s call to award a free-kick for a shirt pull by Celtic defender Liam Scales on Václav Cerný.

“The holding [of Cerny’s shirt] begins outside the penalty area and then it continues on the line and arguably beyond the line and fully into the penalty area. Regardless, the fact it’s on the line this should be considered as a penalty kick,” head of refereeing Willie Collum told Sky Sports.

Rangers released a statement on Tuesday following the appointment of Muir and Connor to the upcoming schedule, with Muir working as the VAR for St Mirren versus Dundee on Sunday and Connor acting as an assistant referee for Celtic’s contest with St. Johnstone on Sunday.

“Rangers FC has contacted the Scottish FA to express serious concerns and ask several questions regarding the swift reinstatement of the two VAR officials involved in the officiating failure during the recent Premier Sports Cup Final,” it read.

“We also note one of the officials has been appointed to an SPFL Premiership match involving the club that benefitted from the error.

“The Scottish FA’s actions raise questions about their commitment to improving officiating standards and fostering accountability. While Rangers FC fully respects the independence of officiating appointments and the need for referees to operate without interference, how the Scottish FA handles such high-profile failures directly affects its credibility and public confidence.”

Rangers are nine points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership after 16 games.

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