Celtic has faced a difficult season filled with VAR controversies and poor refereeing decisions. The recent admission by the national association that a penalty awarded against Celtic was wrong did not surprise fans at all.
The decision to give Hearts a penalty for a handball by Tomoki Iwata was clearly a mistake, and paired with the harsh red card for Hyunjun Yang, it heavily favored Hearts in the game. Former player John Hartson did not hold back in expressing his disgust with the SFA officials, calling their decisions “inept”.
The impact of these incorrect decisions on clubs, managers, players, and even the title race is significant. The penalty call cost Celtic valuable points, led to a ban for Brendan Rodgers, and allowed their rivals to close the gap in the league. The ongoing issues with VAR and refereeing decisions are unacceptable, and there must be consequences for officials who repeatedly get it wrong.
Overall, Celtic’s season has been marred by controversial officiating decisions, and the lack of accountability for these errors is a major concern for the future of the game.
