After a VAR review, the South Korean winger was dismissed for high-booting Alex Cochrane. The SFA has denied Celtic’s request to overturn Yang’s contentious red card against Hearts. The Hoops sent a letter to Hampden Wednesday night expressing “serious concerns” with the quality of officiating during Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Tynecastle and started a fast-track appeal. After a VAR review, South Korean winger Yang—who had originally been penalized for a high boot on Jambos defender Alex Cochrane—was sent off. It was one of several significant discussion points; after yet another VAR intervention, Tomoki Iwata was harshly penalized for a handball, and Hearts were handed a penalty. After the game, a furious Rodgers lost his cool and blamed referee Don Robertson and video assistant John Beaton for costing his team the match as the Hoops were unable to capitalize on Rangers’ unexpected 2-1 loss to Motherwell. Yang will now suffer a two-game suspension after it was ruled that Celtic’s appeal against their unfair dismissal was dismissed during today’s hearing. “We have received notification that the club’s claim has been dismissed,” a Parkhead official stated. It is obvious that we are shocked and deeply dissatisfied by this choice.

In an unusual post-match tirade, Rodgers said that Sunday’s officiating was the worst he had ever seen in Scotland. “I believe so,” he snapped. I make an effort to accept choices and give others the benefit of the doubt. However, I believe that when I witness that degree of—well, incompetence, if you will—that’s what worries me about the game.That may make a difference in such a close fight for the crown. Additionally, I don’t believe that VAR is the issue here. That is evident. It’s proficiency. The first one, in my opinion, is a fantastic illustration of a game being off-field refereed. The decision to declare it a sending off was made by someone outside of the game by the referee. That’s the game that’s off the field, and in major games, it costs you money.Whether it’s in our league or the English Premier League, I don’t come sobbing over referees because I know mistakes will be made. However, officiating in what was a crucial game for us today was terrible. I have the impression that both on and off the field, the officials decided the outcome of the game.The sending off without force is the first one. If you show a still picture of that, you will obviously see the head close to the foot, but that isn’t how the move actually happens. On the field, Don truly got it right. There was no intent or force involved; it was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card.Is it really sending off for John Beaton to look at that in VAR, purportedly without any pressure? That is amazing to me. It is worse, the second one. Every weekend and every midweek there will be penalties if you have one against you for that. I have no idea what he is expected to perform. Tomo is leaping, feeling prodded, tumbling, the ball landing on his arm, and he is not planning to move. The officials’ day wasn’t going well.

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