NafisaCeltic have been left furious after a controversial first-half decision against Celta Vigo sparked an explosive reaction from former Hoops stars, with Stiliyan Petrov questioning UEFA’s appointment of referee Georgi Kabakov.
Martin O’Neill’s side desperately needed a positive result at Celtic Park after opening their Europa League campaign with defeats to Ferencvaros and Benfica. With their hopes of reaching the knockout stages already under pressure, every major decision threatened to carry enormous consequences.
But Celtic supporters were left raging when Callum Osmand went down inside the penalty area following contact from Celta Vigo defender Javi Rueda, only for the referee to wave away the appeals.
The decision immediately became a major talking point, with Petrov, Neil Lennon and Hearts defender Craig Halkett all expressing serious doubts about the officials’ handling of the incident.
And Petrov did not stop at questioning the decision itself. The former Celtic midfielder also raised concerns about Kabakov’s experience at the highest level, delivering a pointed criticism of UEFA’s referee appointment.
Stiliyan Petrov questions UEFA after Celtic penalty controversy
The incident occurred during the first half when Osmand went to ground under pressure from Rueda as he attempted to advance towards goal.
Celtic wanted a penalty, but Kabakov dismissed the appeals. The German VAR team overseeing the match also opted not to intervene, leaving the hosts frustrated.
Speaking during the half-time coverage on TNT Sports, Petrov made his feelings clear.
“I just don’t know how he (Kabakov) hasn’t seen it. There are a lot of questions about Kabakov as he has only refereed four games in the Bulgarian League and six in the Europa League.
“I don’t know what UEFA are looking into (when they pick referees) but you need to have the consistency to make a decision.
“(The foul) is probably outside the box but can they even look at it being a red card? Osmand is going through and I think it’s a really, really poor decision.”
Petrov’s comments raised two separate issues: whether Celtic should have received a penalty and whether the contact occurred outside the box, potentially bringing a different disciplinary decision into consideration.
His criticism of the referee’s experience added another layer to the controversy, although the former midfielder’s assessment remains an opinion rather than an official finding of wrongdoing by UEFA.
For Celtic, the frustration was understandable given the importance of the match. O’Neill’s team needed a breakthrough, and the failure to award a foul in such a dangerous position left players and supporters demanding answers.
Neil Lennon delivers equally furious verdict
Petrov was not the only former Celtic figure left baffled by the decision.
Neil Lennon, who was working on commentary for the same broadcaster, also questioned why Osmand’s appeals had been dismissed.
The former Celtic manager argued that the incident should at least have resulted in a free-kick if the referee believed the contact occurred outside the penalty area.
Lennon said: “That is beyond me that (why it’s not a penalty). It’s either a foul outside the box or a penalty.
“Why does he (Osmand) go down? He doesn’t need to. He is going straight into the box and there is definitely contact, we can see it from up here in the gantry. I don’t know what the referee is seeing. Any touch at all can bring you down sometimes as you lose balance.”
Lennon’s argument was that Osmand was moving towards a promising position and had little reason to go down unless the contact affected his progress.
However, whether that contact was sufficient to constitute a foul, and where any infringement occurred, remained the central questions surrounding the incident.
The fact that VAR did not intervene offered Celtic no immediate relief, leaving the decision to stand.
Hearts defender agrees Celtic were hard done by
Craig Halkett, who was also part of the broadcast punditry team, shared the view that the defender had made contact with Osmand as the Celtic forward attempted to get through on goal.
The Hearts centre-back suggested that Rueda had been fortunate to escape punishment.
Halkett said: “He (the defender) was obviously trying to put Osmand off but I think there was more than a little bit of contact there.
“You can see the push when Osmand is running through on goal. He has no other reason to go down so I think the defender is really lucky to get away with that.”
The agreement between three pundits made the incident an even bigger talking point, with each questioning why Celtic had not been awarded a penalty or a free-kick.
Nevertheless, the officials’ decision remained unchanged, and the controversy was unlikely to ease the pressure on Celtic as they pursued a vital European result.
Celtic cannot afford more frustration in Europe
The penalty appeal arrived at a crucial time for Celtic, who entered the match without a point after their opening defeats to Ferencvaros and Benfica.
Another disappointing European result would make their route into the knockout stages increasingly difficult, placing even greater importance on taking advantage of opportunities at Celtic Park.
For O’Neill, the priority remains finding a way to secure the points his side desperately need. But the reaction to Osmand’s penalty appeal has ensured that the officiating will form a major part of the discussion surrounding the match.
Petrov’s criticism of UEFA’s appointment process, Lennon’s disbelief and Halkett’s assessment all reflected the strength of feeling among the pundits.
Celtic wanted a penalty, VAR stayed silent, and three pundits questioned the decision. With their Europa League campaign hanging in the balance, the controversial Osmand incident has given the Hoops another major talking point on a night when they desperately needed things to go their way.
Nafisa
