NafisaDerek McInnes has been slapped with a touchline ban that will rule him out of his first three domestic matches as Rangers manager after the Scottish FA punished him for comments made about match officials following last season’s controversial title race.
The 55-year-old has received a four-match suspension, with one game suspended, meaning he will watch Rangers’ Premiership opener against Dundee United, the home clash with Hibernian and the League Cup second-round tie from the stands unless the decision is overturned.
The punishment relates to comments McInnes made after Hearts’ dramatic defeat to Celtic in the penultimate match of last season, when he was still in charge at Tynecastle.
After Celtic were awarded a stoppage-time penalty following a VAR review, McInnes blasted the decision to penalise Sam Nicholson for handball, describing the call from referee John Beaton and VAR official Andrew Dallas as “actually quite disgusting.”
He also added: “I shouldn’t be commenting on another game, but having seen that, it feels like us against everybody.”
The Scottish FA deemed those remarks to have breached disciplinary rules concerning criticism of match officials.
However, Rangers have come out fighting and confirmed they will appeal the sanction.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Ibrox club insisted McInnes’ comments were aimed at a specific decision rather than the integrity or competence of officials.
Rangers said: “We do not believe Derek’s view on a match-defining decision amounted to an attack on the competence or integrity of match officials.
“His comments were directed at the decision, rather than representing any broader criticism of officials. Considered fairly and in context, Derek’s comments did not allege bias, incompetence or dishonesty.”
Unless Rangers’ appeal is successful, McInnes will begin his reign at Ibrox away from the dugout despite overseeing preparations from the training ground.
The fourth match of his suspension has been suspended and will only be activated if he commits a similar disciplinary offence before the end of the new season.
The punishment follows the Scottish FA’s recent crackdown on criticism of officiating, with former Motherwell midfielder Elliot Watt also receiving a four-match ban after calling Celtic’s late penalty against Motherwell the “worst VAR decision in history” on social media. Motherwell were also fined £5,000 over their own online reaction to the same incident.
Rangers will now hope their appeal is successful as McInnes prepares for his first competitive campaign in charge at Ibrox.
Nafisa
