Philippe Clement criticised video assistant Alan Muir for failing to send referee John Beaton to the pitchside monitor to review a penalty claim for Rangers during an agonising defeat in the Premier Sports Cup final.
Speaking after his side lost on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw, Clement claimed Rangers should have had a spot-kick when Liam Scales pulled back Vaclav Cerny three minutes into extra-time.
Video images showed that the pull continued into the penalty area, with former referee Bobby Madden taking to social media to claim that it was ‘100 per cent a penalty kick’ before expressing amazement that the VAR officials failed to recommend another look.It was a view echoed by the Rangers boss after he became the first manager in the post-war era to go six Old Firm games without a win. Clement claimed his side deserved more than another heartbreaking defeat to their oldest rivals.
‘I thought it was on the edge of the box. I’d need to watch it back.’
Clement refused to attribute any blame to Ridvan Yilmaz after the substitute left-back had his strike brilliantly saved by Kasper Schmeichel to change the course of the penalty shootout, Celtic scoring all five kicks.
‘I spoke with him,’ the Belgian said. ‘There are a lot of big names in football who are big stars in world football, who missed penalties or even didn’t put the ball on target. So he took his responsibility.
‘We’ve been practising the penalties all season. He did really well in that way, in the trainings. So it’s part of football and I’m proud of guys who take responsibility in those moments.
‘That’s part of being a footballer.
‘We’re on the wrong end today but it’s about digging in, keep on working what they’ve been doing and like this to become better and better the next couple of months.’
Clement Lenglet, the Celtic defender, has come out in support of teammate Ridvan Yilmaz after the substitute left-back’s penalty was saved by Kasper Schmeichel in the shootout, ultimately leading to Celtic’s defeat.
When asked about the incident, Lenglet refused to lay blame on Yilmaz, instead choosing to focus on the bigger picture. “I’d need to watch it back, but I thought it was on the edge of the box,” he said. “These things happen in football, and we can’t dwell on it.”
Lenglet went on to praise Yilmaz for taking responsibility and stepping up to take the penalty. “I spoke with him, and I’m proud of him for taking the responsibility,” he said. “Even big-name players miss penalties or fail to hit the target. It’s part of the game, and we can’t be too hard on him.”
The Celtic defender also highlighted the team’s preparation and practice of penalties throughout the season. “We’ve been working on penalties all season, and Ridvan has done really well in training,” he said. “It’s just one of those things that didn’t go our way today.”
Lenglet’s message was one of resilience and determination, urging his teammates to “dig in” and continue working hard to improve. “We’re on the wrong end of the result today, but we can’t let it get us down,” he said. “We need to keep working, keep pushing, and we’ll come back stronger in the next couple of months.”
Overall, Lenglet’s comments demonstrated his commitment to teamwork and his refusal to scapegoat individual players for the team’s defeat. By focusing on the positive and encouraging his teammates to do the same, Lenglet is helping to foster a culture of resilience and determination within the Celtic squad.
