Celtic were at the receiving end of two VAR mistakes in the latest review, but this time, the wrong call actually went in their favour.
We previously covered the Daizen Maeda goal that was wrongly disallowed against Hibs, with audio revealing that VAR lacked conclusive evidence yet still overturned the decision. Now, Willie Collum has admitted that St Mirren should have been awarded a penalty during Celtic’s 5-2 win in Paisley last weekend.
The key incident came when Alistair Johnston challenged Roland Idowu inside the box. Referee Matthew MacDermid waved play on, while VAR official Andrew Dallas dismissed the incident. At the time, Celtic were leading 3-2, meaning the decision could have had a major impact before the Hoops eventually pulled away.
Collum reviewed the challenge and confirmed it should have been a penalty.
“This should have been a penalty. I think there is a difference between touching the ball and playing the ball. It is a minimal touch on the ball, the direction of the ball doesn’t really change. It’s not playing the ball, then reckless contact.” [SFA VAR Review]
Comparisons were quickly made to Arne Engels’ penalty claim against Bayern Munich, where VAR reviewed the decision but no spot-kick was awarded. Collum defended the Champions League decision, pointing out a crucial difference.
“In that game, there is a clear playing of the ball. The player is also standing up, and he plays the ball. Here, this is a lunging tackle, and it’s a minimal touch on the ball.”
On whether Johnston should have been sent off, Collum felt a red card wouldn’t have been overturned if given on-field.
“It’s a high-end yellow card – reckless. If the on-field decision was penalty and red, we would not expect VAR to intervene and downgrade.”
Ultimately, Celtic went on to comfortably win the game, but the call at 3-2 could have changed the momentum. The VAR debate in Scotland rages on, with major decisions continuing to cause controversy every week.
