Aston Villa v Celtic controversy: Referee slammed as ‘Reckless’ footage emerges
Celtic forward Yang Hyun-jun was fortunate to avoid punishment for a “reckless” challenge on Leon Bailey as Aston Villa beat Celtic in the Champions League, Keith Hackett has said.
The South Korean attacker took a kick at the back of the Jamaica winger’s calf early in the second half of Villa’s enthralling 4-2 win at Villa Park on Wednesday (29 January).
Referee Clement Turpin did not issue a booking for the challenge and VAR does not have the jurisdiction to recommend the on-field official checks a replay for a potential booking.
Former FIFA referee and ex-PGMOL chief Hackett slammed Turpin for the position he was in to make a decision and said that Yang should have been cautioned for his tackle.
“Yang is fortunate not to be issued with a yellow card. This was a reckless challenge
“The law states that: ‘Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned ( yellow card)’.
“VAR criteria does not allow intervention to allow the referee a chance to see a replay.
“He makes his decision on what he sees. He clearly did not have a good view of this challenge.”
Yang Hyun-jun gets away with one in Aston Villa v Celtic
Ultimately, it mattered little to Villa as they managed to run out 4-2 victors over Celtic in the “Battle of Britain” encounter in a match that swung this way and that, with Ollie Watkins proving the match-winner after Adam Idah’s brace had cancelled out an early double from Morgan Rogers.
But it does sort of emphasise the frustration that supporters have with officials because, on the face of it, it looked a pretty obvious decision to give a yellow card.
And with VAR unable to intervene because it was only a cautionable offence, there was little anyone could do about it.
It could have left Yang, rightly, walking a tightrope for the majority of the second half and it certainly looked like a yellow card should have been awarded.
In other Aston Villa news, one player is headed to London for a medical on Thursday ahead of a blockbuster transfer.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.