In Sunday’s Old Firm match between Rangers and Celtic, fans from both teams stormed the pitch after the penalty shootout. Gladbach loanee Cvancara had previously scored the winning goal for Celtic.
One of the most heated derbies in the world wrote another – somewhat inglorious – chapter on Sunday. After the cup quarterfinal between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic Glasgow, supporters of both teams stormed the field, with stewards and police preventing a clash between the two rival fan groups on the pitch at Ibrox Stadium.
Prior to that, very little had happened on the field in 120 minutes. Celtic took the lead in the 37th minute through Maeda, but the goal was disallowed by VAR for a previous offside. Apart from that, the visitors were virtually invisible in attack, failing to register a single (regular) shot on goal in 120 minutes.
Rangers, with German head coach Danny Röhl, did more to score the winning goal in a largely uneventful game and thought they had the advantage in extra time when Fernandez somehow put the ball in the net from close range after a corner. However, VAR intervened again and revealed a previous handball. After the disallowed goals, the score was 1-1, but after 120 minutes, it was still 0-0 on the scoreboard. The two teams had already met in the league a week ago, with the game ending 2-2 after 90 minutes. In the cup, a decision from the spot was now necessary.
In the penalty shootout, Rangers captain Tavernier, who had come on as a substitute, lost his nerve right at the start, with the 34-year-old veteran hitting the crossbar with his attempt. Naderi, who joined Rangers from Hansa Rostock in the winter for millions, scored for Röhl’s team, but then Gassama put his attempt over the bar and opened the door for the flawless visitors. They were rewarded by Gladbach loanee Cvancara, who kept his cool with the decisive attempt and sent Celtic into the semi-finals.
Supporters of both teams storm the pitch
After Cvancara’s penalty, all hell broke loose in the Celtic fan block, with many supporters storming the pitch from the visitors’ block to celebrate with the players. The reaction from the other side was not long in coming, with hundreds of Rangers fans, some of them masked, also running onto the field from the opposite standing area and heading towards the visitors’ section. Pyrotechnics were set off on the pitch and objects were thrown.
Stewards and police then formed a barricade at the edge of the penalty area, preventing a clash between the two fan groups and ensuring that tempers cooled down again. The Celtic fans quickly retreated to the visitors’ section, and after a short time, the Rangers fans also made their way back.
Association announces investigation
Celtic coach Martin O’Neill told the BBC that security forces had urged his players and all officials to leave the field as quickly as possible. O’Neill then accompanied his defender Julian Araujo off the pitch. Rangers fans had previously approached him. According to rumors, players also clashed in the catacombs. There were no initial reports of injuries or arrests. However, the Scottish Football Association announced an investigation and condemned the incidents in a statement.
“We played a really good game,” said Röhl afterwards. “But football is about results, and today we didn’t get the result we deserved.”
