Charlie Adam believes Celtic’s controversial Motherwell penalty was not handball, but he still pointed to the club’s late-season form as the biggest reason they won the title.
The former Rangers midfielder was discussing the controversial late penalty Celtic received against Motherwell when he admitted he simply does not believe it was handball, despite the outrage that followed the decision.
Normally, Celtic fans don’t pay attention to anything Adam says about the club, and when it comes to his view on the penalty against Motherwell, they will still ignore him. But what he says about the title win goes against the grain completely.
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Speaking about Celtic beating Hearts to win the title, Adam was asked if VAR had played a huge role in the season finale.
Adam told Not Tippy Tappy Football, “First and foremost, I thought Hearts were, have been magnificent all season, the best season they’ve had in a number of years. Derek’s done a wonderful job. But when Martin came back, that was a changing point for me.
“I knew the experience, what the players have been through, but also Martin’s experience with Celtic, you just knew they were going to be far greater for what they were.
“And they managed to get within that sort of two points at the end of the season, which once they’d got that late goal at Motherwell and everybody’s talking about it. For me, it’s not handball.
“And I think it’s there to be seen, but everybody will have their different opinions. But I just felt that Celtic were always going to come late. And to turn it around, I think they won six or seven in a row at the end of the season.
“You know, fair play to Martin to keep going.”
The Motherwell penalty incident has dominated discussion ever since Celtic’s dramatic late win kept the title race alive.
Some pundits and former officials insisted the decision was wrong, while others defended the VAR intervention and accused critics of overreacting.
Chris Sutton defended Celtic during the backlash, and Adam has now added another notable voice arguing the handball claims are far from clear-cut.
Celtic’s title was built on far more than one VAR decision
Adam also pointed directly to the bigger picture. Celtic did not win the title because of one late penalty decision.
Martin O’Neill’s side finished the campaign with seven consecutive league victories, taking maximum points during the run-in to overhaul Hearts.
That form ultimately decided the title race more than any single refereeing moment. Celtic handled the pressure when it mattered most.
The final league table showed just how narrow the margin was, but Adam’s comments will not end the debate, they completely undermine the idea Celtic’s title was decided by one moment alone
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