SFA panel rule on Reo Hatate Celtic tackle that ex-Rangers striker branded 'a red card all day long'
A Scottish FA panel has found that Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate should have been shown a red card during his side's 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday.
Hatate was shown a yellow card by referee Nick Walsh after catching Liam Donnelly high above the ankle with no onfield review recommended by VAR operator Don Robertson.
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Hide AdThe incident, which took place in the 79th minute after Celtic had already gone two goals up through Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn, formed part of this week's Key Match Incident Review panel.
And the five-man committee found by a majority of three to two that Hatate should have been sent off with both referee Walsh and VAR Robertson guilty of an error of judgement.
The review stated: "The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (3:2) deeming the onfield decision incorrect. The majority (3:2) believed that VAR should have intervened and recommended an OFR for a red card to be awarded as they believed that the challenge endangered the safety of the opponent. Two members of the panel highlighted that they didn't think the potential foul was clear and obvious enough for VAR to get involved and a caution sufficed."


The findings come despite Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes holding no grievances over the decision. Speaking after full-time, McInnes said: “Do you know. at the time, I thought it was quite high. I didn’t think there was a lot of force in it. And when it goes to VAR, sometimes when you see a picture, I’m sure the pictures wouldn’t have looked good.
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Hide Ad“But in terms of actual force, I’m not sure it was exactly a red card, to be honest. So obviously, we would take that, because I think we’ve been victims that had a lot, but sometimes you don’t get these wee breaks against a team like Celtic. But I didn’t think there was a lot of force on it. I didn’t think it was a bad tackle.”
Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd took a different view. The ex-Rangers striker said: “It’s a red card all day long. See in terms of force and because he turns around and says, sorry, you can’t catch a player that far up the leg and turn around and say sorry and get away with it.
“He catches him right on the top of the leg, just below the knee, just below the knee. It is impossible not to be sent off. So the referee gets it wrong on the pitch, and then Don Robertson goes and gets it wrong in the VAR room. That is a red card all day long."
In total, the KMI Panel reviewed 10 incidents from the Scottish Premiership matches that took place over the weekend of November 9-10 and found no other incorrect outcomes.
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