Brendan Rodgers has praised the use of VAR in Celtic’s win over Hearts.
Referee Colin Steven awarded Hearts a first half penalty that was overturned before not awarding a second half spot kick to the Champions, which VAR told him to look at again.
Speaking after the game, the Celtic manager said that the officials got the decisions right eventually.
🔊 LISTEN: “I thought the officials did really well in those two moments… Just because one doesn’t get one shouldn’t mean the other doesn’t.”
🍀 Brendan Rodgers feels referee Colin Steven was correct with both of his penalty decisions in Celtic’s 2-0 victory over Hearts. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/xwqPOxmf8V
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) September 14, 2024
Scales was really unfortunate to be penalised after the ball came in from the left before coming in at close range and hitting his arm. It was very different to the decision to award Celtic the penalty that gave Arne Engels the chance to score.
Steven was making just his second appearance at Celtic Park as a referee, having previously only appeared during the COVID season. No doubt the anxiety of a first appearance before the Parkhead crowd might have influenced the decisions that he made but the technology was on hand to assist.