Furor over VAR decision now fuels anger in Scottish soccer's title race following England row

TL;DR

Scottish soccer is embroiled in controversy following a disputed VAR decision that awarded Celtic a last-minute penalty, impacting the title race against Hearts. The decision has sparked outrage and comparisons to a recent controversial VAR call in England.

Key points

Celtic awarded a last-minute penalty after a VAR review
Hearts leads the Scottish Premiership by one point
Coaches criticized the VAR decision as shocking
Similar VAR controversy occurred in English soccer recently

Mentioned in this story

Derek McInnesJens Berthel AskouMartin O’Neill

VARCelticHeartsMotherwell

Just days after English soccer had what many said was its most controversial VAR call, Scotland said: Hold my beer. Two league title races on a knife edge, two hugely consequential refereeing decisions that provoked equal amounts of anger, confusion and conspiracy theories. Also delight for Celtic, which benefited from the disputed call Wednesday just as Arsenal did Sunday. “It’s actually quite disgusting,” said Derek McInnes, coach of Scottish Premiership leader Hearts after seeing the handball incident that gave Celtic a last-minute penalty in a 3-2 win at Motherwell. “It’s such a bad decision,” said McInnes, who takes his Hearts team to Celtic for a final showdown Saturday with a one-point lead in the standings. That lead could — and most in Scotland seemed to believe should — be three points.

Results on the field

Wednesday evening in Scotland was the second-last round of games in a title race for the ages. Unheralded Hearts has led the league for months trying to bring the trophy back to the club after a 66-year wait. Hearts easily beat Falkirk 3-0 at the same time as Celtic's back-and-forth drama at Motherwell. A tense split-screen evening got clearer focus in the closing minutes. Motherwell leveled at 2-2 in the 85th minute at Fir Park, just before Hearts got its third in the 86th at a Tynecastle Park pulsating with the noise of 19,000 raucous fans. If those results stood, Hearts would go to Celtic able to lose by two clear goals Saturday and still win the title on the tiebreaker of goal difference. Then, Celtic had a throw-in near the Motherwell penalty area in the last of four minutes of stoppage time.

The penalty incident

The throw-in was launched long and Celtic’s United States defender jumped for a header with Motherwell’s . Trusty’s shoulder seemed to lift Nicholson’s arm upward, pushing his hand toward his face. The ball was cleared high and about 20 meters (yards), apparently from Nicholson’s header. No foul was spotted by the referee. Trusty went down as if struck in the head and referee John Beaton eventually went to his pitchside monitor for a video review. The main camera angle did not seem conclusive but Beaton judged a handball offense and pointed to the penalty spot. With the last kick, in the 99th minute, Celtic forward scored. Hearts fans who stayed on at Tynecastle watched their phone screens in dismay. Celtic will now clinch its 14th league title in 15 years with a win by any score against Hearts, which must avoid defeat.

Q&A

What was the controversial VAR decision in the Scottish soccer title race?

The VAR decision involved a last-minute penalty awarded to Celtic after a handball incident during their match against Motherwell.

How does the VAR decision affect the Scottish Premiership title race?

The decision allows Celtic to potentially clinch the title with a win against Hearts, who currently lead by one point.

What are the reactions from coaches regarding the VAR decision?

Coaches from both Hearts and Motherwell expressed outrage, calling the decision shocking and questioning its validity.

How does this VAR controversy compare to recent events in English soccer?

The controversy in Scotland follows a similar uproar in England over a VAR call that disallowed a West Ham goal, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction with VAR officiating in both leagues.