NafisaMartin O’Neill has made his feelings abundantly clear after Celtic suffered another devastating European defeat, with the Hoops manager questioning a crucial refereeing decision that helped turn their clash against Celta Vigo on its head.
Celtic desperately needed a positive result at Parkhead after opening their Europa League campaign with defeats against Ferencváros and Benfica. For a while, Thursday night offered hope that they could finally get their season back on track in Europe.
Mika Baur put the hosts ahead early in the second half, and Celtic had opportunities to strengthen their advantage. Liam Scales struck the woodwork, while Benjamin Nygren forced an important save from Celta goalkeeper Ionut Radu.
But just as the Hoops appeared to be building towards a crucial victory, the match took a dramatic turn. Celta Vigo equalised from a free-kick through Javi Rodriguez, and O’Neill was left furious about the decision that preceded the goal.
The Celtic manager was booked for his protests, but he did not hide his frustration afterwards, insisting that his side had been denied a foul moments before the referee awarded one to their opponents.
Martin O’Neill makes ‘very obvious’ foul claim
Speaking to TNT Sports after the 2-1 defeat, O’Neill explained why he believed the officials had made a costly mistake in the build-up to Celta Vigo’s equaliser.
“We conceded a free-kick. I thought, just seconds before that, that we had a foul for us.
“Referee’s disowned that and given them a foul about 10 seconds later and they scored from the free-kick.”
The Celtic boss was particularly frustrated because his team had been in a promising position before the equaliser changed the momentum of the contest.
Celtic had taken the lead and created further opportunities, but Rodriguez’s goal handed Celta Vigo a route back into the game. The visitors then capitalised on the shift in momentum, with Rodriguez scoring again only minutes later.
O’Neill was also questioned about his booking for protesting against the decision, and he revealed that the incident involving Camilo Duran was not the only moment that had left him questioning the officiating.
He said: “Apparently, first of all, I thought there was a foul in the first half against Camilo and they said that VAR were checking it.
“I don’t know what we’re looking at because it was a very obvious foul.
“At the end of the day, I thought it was a foul against Camilo as well too just before.”
Those comments will inevitably intensify scrutiny of referee Georgi Kabakov, particularly among Celtic supporters who believe the decision before Celta’s equaliser proved decisive.
However, O’Neill stopped short of blaming the entire defeat on the officials, acknowledging that his team ultimately had to take responsibility for the result.
Celtic have a major question to answer after collapse
Although the disputed free-kick became a major talking point, Celtic still had work to do after conceding, and their failure to respond represented another worrying setback.
O’Neill made it clear that he was unhappy with the referee’s performance, but he also recognised that the final result could not simply be explained away by one controversial incident.
He added: “They were given that. In the scheme of things, that seldom matters.
“I didn’t think it was one of his best games, to be perfectly honest, but we’ve got beaten in the game.”
That admission reflects the uncomfortable reality facing Celtic. Even if the manager’s complaints about the officiating are justified, his team must find a way to manage difficult moments and prevent one setback from becoming a complete collapse.
At 1-0, the Hoops had looked capable of securing the result they desperately needed. Instead, they allowed Celta Vigo to regain control after the equaliser and could not prevent Rodriguez from striking again.
The missed opportunity to extend their lead will also frustrate O’Neill. Scales came close to scoring, while Nygren tested Radu, but Celtic failed to make their promising spells count.
Those missed chances, combined with their defensive problems, left them vulnerable when the game turned against them.
Europa League campaign reaches worrying point
The defeat leaves Celtic without a point after three Europa League matches, placing their hopes of reaching the knockout stages under enormous pressure.
Having already lost to Ferencváros and Benfica, the Scottish side could ill afford another setback. Instead, they now face an increasingly difficult task if they are to climb the league-phase standings and secure qualification.
O’Neill must therefore find answers quickly, both to the defensive issues that have undermined Celtic in Europe and to the team’s inability to maintain control when opponents apply pressure.
His criticism of Kabakov will resonate with supporters who feel the crucial decisions have not gone their way. Yet the manager’s own comments make clear that he understands the bigger picture: Celtic were beaten, regardless of the controversy.
The question now is whether the Hoops can recover from another damaging night and rediscover the form required to compete at European level.
For O’Neill, the frustration will be particularly sharp because Celtic had placed themselves in a position to win before the match unravelled. The controversial free-kick may remain a talking point, but the missed chances, defensive lapses and subsequent collapse have left the club facing a much bigger problem than one refereeing decision.
Nafisa
