The Scottish FA’s Key Match Incident Panel (KMI) believe that Celtic’s Auston Trusty should have been sent off following his clash with Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland in Sunday’s League Cup semi-final.
Celtic defender Trusty’s boot caught Butland in the head and he was booked by referee Nick Walsh at Hampden Park.
However, the KMI panel, by a majority of two to one, said the VAR was wrong to not intervene and should have recommended an on-field review, where a red card should have been awarded.
The panel did, however, by a unanimous majority, say the decisions to disallow Nicolas Raskin’s own goal for offside by a Celtic player, award a red card to Thelo Aasgaard for a high challenge on Anthony Ralston, give a penalty against Ralston and hand a yellow to Derek Cornelius were all correct decisions.
Rangers voiced their discontent to the Scottish FA following Sunday’s 3-1 defeat.
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Jack Butland speaks about the challenge from Celtic’s Auston Trusty in their League Cup defeat at Hampden Park which led to a statement from the club
Butland: ‘Difficult to accept decision’ | Trusty: ‘I tapped him’
Both players involved in the incident have spoken out since, with differing versions of events.
While Butland finds it “difficult to accept” as he fears a “precedent” being set, Trusty insists he had no fear of a red card, believing their Old Firm rivals’ reaction is a consequence of losing.
“Was there a massive amount of malice involved?” Butland asked.
“Not necessarily. You’d like to think that you’re protected, in a sense, from things like that.
“Seeing it afterwards, it was perhaps later than I thought in real time as well. So, a difficult one to accept.
“Difficult to accept that that’s perhaps a precedent that is going to continue if that’s a similar situation against any team, regardless of who it is.
“Obviously, with the addition of all the assistance that the referees perhaps get nowadays, we can only hope moving forward that the right decisions get made and it stays as fair as it possibly can.”
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Trusty gave his take on his challenge, insisting he never feared a red card
The sides were level at 1-1 when the incident took place, with Rangers already down to 10 following Aasgaard’s red.
“I tapped him and obviously it wasn’t… I didn’t boot him in the head,” Trusty said.
“You could see my demeanour and my reaction to tapping him in the head. No, I didn’t think it was anything,” the 27-year-old added.
“I was just obviously apologetic. No one means to boot somebody in the head or kick somebody in the head. I obviously tapped him in the head and that’s all it was.
“I didn’t really think anything much of it. I obviously was apologetic and you’d see my hands to him and say sorry, no matter rivalry or whatever it is, that’s not the kind of human I am.
“I think it’s just Rangers vs Celtic. I think no matter whatever side has a positive result, the other side’s going to say whatever.
“It’s just how football works, you know, in this country and from this rivalry. I don’t think you can really escape that.”
