Impossible to fathom- Jackson hits out at key VAR decision in Celtic match

Keith Jackson has hit out at the decision to allow Slobodan Rubezic to continue playing against Celtic despite his sickening attack on Kyogo Furuhashi.

Early in the second half the Aberdeen defender charged dangerously into his opponent as Kyogo headed the ball unaware of the ‘challenge’ coming his way.

Willie Collum viewed the incident, decided that it was a foul but only worth a yellow card.

As Kyogo was treated on the turf attention switched to John Beaton in the VAR studio with an expectation that he’d suggest his colleague goes trackside to take a fresh look at the incident. Beaton saw nothing worth reviewing.

Covering the incident in the Daily Record in relation to Celtic supporters inside the ground, Jackson reports:

That they reacted so angrily to the horrible clash of heads which saw Slobodan Rubezic wiping out Kyogo and leaving him in a motionless heap, was a sign of how deeply they do care for the plight of this team and the wellbeing of its star performers in particular. And yet another reminder that the role of the video assistant referee in Scottish football is becoming almost impossible to fathom.

It shouldn’t have required graphic slow motion replays for the officials to work out that Rubezic’s over aggression had endangered the safety of an opponent. Not when the opponent in question was lying sparked out on the ground. But the Montenegrin escaped with a yellow card even though the TV pictures made his actions seem even more reckless and despite the fact that Kyogo had to be helped off the field looking like he’d just been knocked into the middle of next week.

Judging that challenge as a yellow car sets a dangerous precedent, it would be difficult to pinpoint a more dangerous incident with clear consequences for an opponent.

The SFA does have the power to take retrospective action but that would undermine two of their top match officials.

Any further punishment could see Rubezic suspended for Aberdeen’s next match- at home to Philippe Clement’s side on November 26.