Derek McInnes says Rangers are right to appeal his four-game touchline suspension, issued after he condemned as “disgusting” the decision to award Celtic a stoppage-time penalty at Motherwell in May.
The remarks, made at the end of last season while McInnes was managing Hearts, referred to a late handball call that Kelechi Iheanacho converted. Celtic’s 3-2 win at Fir Park on 13 May kept them a point behind Hearts, before they overtook them to win the title in the final-day decider.
The Scottish FA sanction comprises an immediate three-match ban with a fourth game suspended until season’s end. Rangers argue his comments targeted the decision itself rather than officials in general.
Speaking after a friendly win over St Etienne at Ibrox, McInnes said he and the club disagree with the punishment and will appeal. He noted that, in 19 years of management, he has always tried to avoid making criticism personal, believed the call was wrong, and felt he presented that case at the hearing. He warned that broadcasters pay for candid post-match views and that overly harsh penalties risk making managers and players overly cautious. He stressed he did not intend to inflame matters and kept his comments controlled despite the emotion of the moment.
On the night of Celtic’s win, McInnes told Sky Sports after Hearts beat Falkirk that when he heard of a 96th-minute VAR review, he assumed a penalty would follow, but after seeing the incident he felt it was not a spot-kick and suggested his team were “up against it.”
If the ban stands, McInnes would be in the stands for Rangers’ league opener at Dundee United on 31 July, the following match at home to Hibernian, and a League Cup tie on 15/16 August. Rangers also contend that many commentators across the UK shared his concerns and that similar language has previously drawn lighter or no disciplinary action in Scottish football.