It was a frustrating night for Celtic in the Europa League as they suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Sporting Braga on Thursday. The Scottish champions thought they had found a way back into the game when Kelechi Iheanacho found the net, but VAR intervened in controversial fashion.
Celtic were already trailing by one goal when Iheanacho struck. However, after an unusually long VAR review, his effort was ruled out for a supposed handball—without the referee even checking the pitchside monitor.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was left furious after the game, insisting that the call was incorrect:
“There’s absolutely no way from every angle you look at that he’s touched it. It’s hit his face, he’s gone away and finished it really well. That’s a big moment in the game for us.”
The decision proved costly, as Braga extended their lead late on through Gabri Martinez, sealing the win after Ricardo Horta’s stunning long-range opener had given them the advantage.
With the defeat, Celtic’s European hopes suffered a major setback, leaving fans and pundits alike debating the role of VAR once again.
