Celtic reaction: Rodgers angered by VAR and Atletico bench, Simeone has say, what the Spanish press said

Celtic’s recent woes in the Champions League continued on Tuesday with a red card to Daizen Maeda in a 6-0 drubbing away to Atletico Madrid

Referee Ivan Kruzliak shows a red card to Celtic's Daizen Maeda during the first-half of the defeat to Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Rodgers’ angered by VAR and Atletico bench

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was angered by the decision to send off Daizen Maeda following a VAR review midway through the first half at the Estadio Metropolitano – and also with the frenzied reaction of the Atletico Madrid bench. The Japanese winger saw a yellow card upgraded to red after he dangled a leg in a 50-50 challenge with Mario Hermoso, who hurt himself as he followed through. Celtic were already trailing to a deflected strike from Antoine Griezmann and Atletico took full advantage of the numerical superiority. Griezmann and Alvaro Morata both struck doubles, while Samuel Lino and Saul Niguez also scored as Atletico hit a string of spectacular second-half goals.

Rodgers said: “I think the red card is a big turning point. We started well, started with confidence, got into some really good areas. We then get a man sent off early, which was a huge disappointment because I didn’t feel it was a red card.

“When you watch the re-run, both players kick each other’s feet. The referee saw that in game time and then he is asked to look at it.

“The first image he sees is not representative of the actual challenge. You plant a seed when the first image he sees is Daizen Maeda’s foot up, but that wasn’t the challenge and it’s a really, really soft red card.

“For a team coming here with 11 against 11, you would need to be at your real max to get something out the game and losing a man early, it becomes a real challenge and we tire and they scored some fantastic goals.”

Rodgers was annoyed by the reaction of the Atletico bench after the Maeda challenge, with boss Diego Simeone and six or seven colleagues racing into the technical area to remonstrate.

He said: “They will play the game, they are obviously trying to get our player sent off. Listen, it’s still up to the ref. You come away in Europe and a place like this where it’s an emotional stadium, everyone will add pressure.

“The ref saw it in game time and didn’t deem it worthy of anything so serious, but it just feels like a computer game now, football. So many visits to the screen, so many influences in the game.

“As time has gone on you see the influence of VAR and the difficulties referees have. There’s a lot of judgements going on away from the field. It’s not so much the technology, but how it is implemented. It’s not something I enjoy."

Simeone has say on 6-0 rout

While the match was a nightmare for Celtic, it could not have gone better for Atletico as they reclaimed top spot in Group E and now look firmly on course to qualify for the Champions League last 16. Atletico boss Diego Simeone said [El Imparcial]: “It seems to me that we started well. A very high intensity to be brave and press in their half when we were 11 against 11. We managed to get the goal. We handled the dynamic pressures at a good pace.

“After the red card, it is difficult for them to play with one less. The opponent remained humble, they tried to come out playing which allowed us to put pressure on them very well.

“When the first half ended, we understood that we had to take a step forward, that’s why Llorente came in to give strength. Lino, Azpilicueta, and Soyuncu came in very well and we ended up rounding out the game.

“Today the players came out intense, brave. They went for the game. They found the goal and it helped them find more. We had a good set-up with the centre-backs. It allowed us to press higher. I’m happy and hoping to repeat this type of match.”

What the Spanish press said

Marca wrote that “Celtic attack better than they defend” while they described Daizen Maeda as “power without control, the good side of him, becoming the red and white nightmare in Glasgow, but also the bad side of him, leaving his team with 10 in Madrid.” They also accused Brendan Rodgers of “waving the white flag” with his decision to substitute Matt O’Riley and Luis Palma describing the duo as “a pair of his fundamental pieces”.

In their player ratings, Marca only gave the lowest marks to Joe Hart, Callum McGregor, O’Riley, Pablo Bernardo, David Turnbull, Luis Palma and Oh Hyeon-gyu with the rest of the Celtic team, and manager Rodgers, not receiving a mark.

Fellow Spanish outlet AS added: "It helped when Maeda departed, of course, that at twenty he went to the shower for planting his heels on Hermoso's shinbone. The card, initially yellow, turned red after the referee passed it through the screen. Celtic's step became an abyss."

AS were even tougher with their player ratings, only giving marks to Hart and McGregor.