Despite Celtic’s resounding 6-0 victory over Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final, Brendan Rodgers found himself briefly in the spotlight for a moment that had little to do with his team’s commanding display.
Annoyed by some wasteful play, the Celtic manager’s emotions led to a small incident on the sidelines—and an unexpected yellow card.
With Celtic already up by three goals before halftime, Rodgers became increasingly frustrated by some careless passing. His frustration peaked when a loose ball rolled his way, and he attempted to kick it firmly back onto the field—but things went humorously wrong. Misjudging his step on the slick Hampden touchline, Rodgers slipped and ended up flat on the ground, an embarrassing moment as he tried to regain his composure.
Adding to his misfortune, the referee promptly issued a yellow card for Rodgers’ interference, as his action prevented Aberdeen from taking a quick throw-in. Former Scottish referee Bobby Madden, however, took to social media to express that Rodgers may have gotten off lightly, explaining that the rulebook actually mandates a red card when a manager purposefully interferes to delay play.
Explaining the rule, Madden posted on Instagram: “The referee should be praised here, as the ball went out for a throw-in to Aberdeen and the Celtic manager clearly kicked it away, delaying their restart. According to the rules, this should be a red card, but the referee used common sense and gave a yellow instead. Common sense prevails.”
Despite the brief incident, Rodgers didn’t let it sour his post-match mood. When asked about the yellow card in his press conference, the Celtic boss was in good spirits. Laughing it off, he told *SunSport*, “To be fair, it was deserved. I was frustrated at us losing the ball, but I shouldn’t be kicking it like that. The surface was a bit slippery, but I bounced up quickly after the fall—probably out of embarrassment!”
Celtic’s emphatic performance has now secured them a spot in the League Cup final, leaving Rodgers’ slip-up as just a minor blip in an otherwise impressive showing. Whether Madden felt a yellow was ultimately the right call is a question only he can answer.
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