Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has launched a scathing attack on the use of VAR in Scottish football after the club's failed appeal against Auston Trusty's red card in Sunday's defeat to Hibernian. The dismissal means Trusty will miss three crucial Scottish Premiership matches, including the upcoming Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
O'Neill said VAR is 'debilitating' for on-field officials, claiming the system is being used to re-referee matches rather than correct clear errors. Referee Matthew MacDermid initially deemed the incident worthy of no sanction, but VAR official Grant Irvine instructed him to review the decision, leading to a red card.
'The referee saw the incident himself,' O'Neill said. 'He is asked by a very excited man on VAR to trot over and change his mind. It is ridiculous. If VAR has spotted something blatant that was missed, I can understand that. But here, the referee saw it and was told he didn't. That has got to be debilitating.'
O'Neill also referenced a similar incident involving Trusty against Hearts, where a yellow card was overturned to a red. The manager, speaking in Germany ahead of Celtic's Europa League second leg against Stuttgart, stressed he has no issue with VAR's concept but its application in Scotland.
Celtic face a 4-1 deficit against Stuttgart, and O'Neill hinted at resting key players with the Old Firm clash in mind. 'Whoever we put out won't mean a weakened team,' he said. 'They are all capable players.'
