Arne Engels, the Celtic star, found himself in the middle of a controversial debate over potential red cards when two Ref Watch members pardoned him soon after reprimanding Moises Caicedo. Despite this, Dermot Gallagher stood firm in his belief that both incidents warranted yellow cards.
The £11m signing was put under scrutiny by VAR for a tackle on Joe Newell, but the referee’s decision to issue a yellow card was upheld after consultation with the video assistant. Gallagher echoed the referee’s decision, stating on Sky Sports Ref Watch that Engels deserved a yellow card for his reckless challenge. He acknowledged that the tackle was late and unnecessary, but did not believe it was a red card offence.
Both Sue Smith and Stephen Warnock shared Gallagher’s view, but host Rob Wootoon questioned the discrepancy between the decision on Engels and the decision on Caicedo. Gallagher explained that Caicedo’s tackle, which involved a similar level of intensity, was deemed a yellow card because he did not follow through with his foot, thereby saving him from a red card.
Smith expressed surprise that Caicedo was not sent off, noting the aggression and high connection of his challenge, while Warnock also voiced his astonishment at the decision. Despite the differing opinions, Gallagher remained firm in his belief that both incidents were correctly judged as yellow card offences.
