Former FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg has delivered his verdict on another possible penalty Celtic could have had against Rangers in the 2-2 Ibrox draw.
X account Lint shared some footage of Sebastian Tounekti’s tussle with Nasser Djiga during Celtic’s draw at Rangers which could have got the Bhoys an equaliser sooner.
The debate raged online as it appears a double-standard is being applied after Rangers were denied a penalty for the same issue against Celtic last season and the fallout over that made headlines.
So, to get an impartial view, we contacted Mark Clattenburg for his opinion on Djiga almost ripping Tounekti’s Celtic jersey off his back.
Did Celtic just save their season with a second half comeback vs Rangers? Give us your thoughts in the comments 👇
WHAT. A. COMEBACK.
Clattenburg would have been ‘surprised’ if Tounekti won a Celtic penalty vs Rangers
The former FIFA referee was in no doubt that a penalty would have been harsh had it been awarded to Celtic for the shirt pull on Tounekti.
Clattenburg told 67 Hail Hail, “Celtic wanted a penalty when Sebastian Tounekti had his shirt pulled inside the penalty area.
“I would have been surprised if this was given as a penalty as the shirt pull did not impede his progress and both players were fighting for the ball.”
Fair enough, but it does seem like Tounekti is being severely hampered from winning the ball fairly. Would this have been given as a foul in any other area of the pitch though?
Clattenburg tells Rangers ‘the law is clear’ about Celtic’s actual penalty award
As for the actual penalty Celtic got after Dujon Sterling prevented Daizen Maeda’s header from hitting the back of the Rangers net, Clattenburg was clear that this was the right call.
The former referee told Ibrox News, “Celtic were awarded a penalty for a handball from Daizen Maeda’s header which hits Dujon Sterling’s arm on its way to hitting Jack Butland.
“The ball was going into the goal from an accidental handball, and therefore a penalty must be awarded and a yellow card.
“Someone will argue that his arm was away from the body but that is subjective and the ball comes from a short distance but as the ball is going towards the goal, the law is clear from 2024: ‘If a defender commits a handball that prevents a goal, but the handball was accidental or not a deliberate action to stop the ball’, it is a penalty and a yellow card, not a red card.”
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