Bobby Madden: Celtic Manager Should Have Been Sent Off

Despite Celtic’s convincing 6-0 triumph over Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final, Brendan Rodgers found himself in an unexpected spotlight for a moment that had little to do with his team’s dominant performance.

Frustrated by a spell of wasteful play, the Celtic boss let his emotions get the better of him, resulting in a minor mishap on the touchline and an unexpected yellow card.

With his side already three goals to the good before half-time, Rodgers was growing visibly irritated by some careless passing. His patience snapped as a loose ball rolled his way, and he attempted to give it a firm kick back onto the pitch—only for things to go hilariously wrong. Misjudging his footing on the slick Hampden touchline, Rodgers slipped and ended up flat on the ground, an embarrassing sight for the Northern Irishman as he tried to regain his composure.

To add insult to injury, the referee wasted no time brandishing a yellow card for Rodgers’ interference, which prevented Aberdeen from taking a quick throw-in. However, former Scottish referee Bobby Madden took to social media to share his view that Rodgers actually got off lightly. According to Madden, the rulebook technically calls for a red card in cases where a manager deliberately interferes with play to delay the opposition.

Madden Explains on the letter of the law

Madden commented on Instagram, stating, “The referee should be praised in this instance as you see the ball leave the field of play for a throw-in to Aberdeen and the Celtic manager clearly kicks the ball away, delaying the restart for his opponent. The laws are very clear that this should be a red card, but the referee showed common sense and only issued a yellow card. Common sense prevails.”

Despite the brief moment, Rodgers didn’t let it spoil the mood after the match. When asked about the booking in his post-match press conference, the Hoops boss was in a humorous mood. Laughing off the situation, he told SunSport, “To be fair, it was well deserved. I was frustrated at us losing the ball, but I shouldn’t be kicking it there. It was a bit slippy on the surface, but I bounced up quickly after falling—probably through embarrassment!”

Celtic’s high-flying performance has put them in the League Cup final, with the manager’s touchline slip now just a small blip in an otherwise clinical display. Why Madden felt compelled to even bring it up if he believes a yellow was the right call will be one for him to answer.