NEIL LENNON pointed out that had VAR been in operation in the Europa League as it is in the Champions League then Celtic could easily have won the opening group match in Rennes this evening – and would also have finished the match with eleven players on the park.
The Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez had a night that he will want to forget quickly but will be having nightmares this evening if he watches back the UEFA’s highlights from the game.
He’ll see that he missed a clear cut penalty for Celtic at the start of the second half and will also discover that the Rennes team conned him into showing Celtic substitute Bayo a second yellow card after four times waving away the French complaints as the Rennes keeper Edouard Mendy faked a head knock. What’s the French word for a cheat? Tricheur I think.
“I was aware there was no VAR before the game,” the Celtic manager said to the media, as reported by Scottish Sun.
“We are playing under the UEFA banner. I’m surprised we don’t have it in this competition. If we had had it, then it would have been clearly another penalty.
“I’m not happy about the sending off and we should have had a clear penalty for the foul on Ryan Christie.
“At the sending off it looks to me like the referee was waving play on. I don’t know if he looked back at the goalkeeper as he was holding his head. There was NO contact with his face at all.
“If anything, it was minimal across his midriff. The referee changed his mind.
“Bayo can feel very hard done by with that decision. We pride ourselves on our team discipline. Yes, we lost a player to a red card but we feel harshly done by.”
???? Great result tonight and sincere thanks again to @Dafabet for allowing the Foundation crest on the jerseys! #FootballForGood pic.twitter.com/8BffFFdWsS
— Celtic FC Foundation (@FoundationCFC) September 19, 2019
Despite his frustrations at the Spanish referee costing Celtic an away win, which would have been deserved on the performance, the Irishman was nevertheless delighted with his side’s performance as they made if no defeats from 5 away games in European football this season.
“I thought we were the better team,” Lenny said. “I asked for a reaction from the players at half-time and they thoroughly merited the point if not three points.
“The two boys in midfield were brilliant – McGregor and Ryan – while Jullien had an outstanding game as well.
“We have a lot to look forward to. The other result – Cluj winning – isn’t a surprise to me.”
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
Honours Even – Celtic Frustrated By Spanish Referee under Rennes’ Blood Red Sky…see HERE.
