Celtic manager Martin O’Neil delivered a furious post-match interview despite watching his side defeat Rangers on penalties after a tense goalless draw in a dramatic Scottish Cup clash.
The match finished 0–0 after regulation time in a fiercely contested Glasgow derby, with neither side able to break the deadlock during the 90 minutes. Celtic eventually held their nerve in the penalty shootout, winning 4–2 to secure progression, but the result did little to calm O’Neil’s anger after the final whistle.
The Celtic boss directed his frustration toward the VAR officials, claiming a controversial offside decision midway through the first half changed the course of the game.
According to O’Neil, the incident occurred at exactly 40 minutes and 20 seconds, when Celtic thought they had found a breakthrough only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review for offside. The decision left the Celtic bench stunned and sparked heated protests from players and staff.
Speaking after the match, O’Neil did not hide his frustration.
“What is that decision? The rules suddenly change when it is Celtic,” the manager said angrily. “Everyone in the stadium saw that moment and thought it was a goal. Then VAR steps in and somehow finds an offside that nobody understands.”
Despite ultimately winning the tie through penalties, O’Neil insisted the game should have been decided long before the shootout.
“We should have won this comfortably. That decision changed the whole momentum of the match. Instead of leading and controlling the game, we were forced to fight all the way to penalties.”
The Celtic manager also questioned the consistency of VAR in Scottish football, suggesting similar situations in other matches have been judged differently.
“I am not against technology, but it has to be fair. If you are going to use VAR, then use it with the same interpretation every week,” he added.
Rangers, who defended resolutely throughout the match, pushed the contest to penalties after holding Celtic scoreless during normal time. However, they were unable to match Celtic’s composure from the spot as the Hoops converted four penalties to Rangers’ two.
While Celtic ultimately advanced, the post-match discussion was dominated by O’Neil’s explosive criticism of the officiating team and the controversial first-half decision.
The incident is now expected to spark further debate among Scottish football fans and pundits, with many already questioning whether VAR was applied correctly during one of the most intense derbies of the season.