Brendan Rodgers banned but will return for Old Firm showdown

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will be in the Ibrox technical area next month after being handed an immediate one-match ban for criticising match officials following the recent game against Hearts.

The Northern Irishman was accused of breaching Rule 72 which forbids criticising match officials "in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence" following Celtic's 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle on 3 March.

Rodgers claimed the "level of incompetence" made him worry for the game as he criticised the displays of referee Don Robertson and video assistant John Beaton in particular, with Yang Hyun-jun’s early red card and a controversial penalty for handball against Tomoki Iwata the key complaints.

Rodgers was handed a one-game ban with another one-match ban suspended until the end of the season, which means he will not be on the touchline for the cinch Premiership match at Livingston on Sunday but will be in the technical area for the crunch game against Rangers at Ibrox on 7 April.

The Scottish Football Association’s website stated that the outcome was proved and that: "Two match suspension applied as follows: One match immediate and one match suspended until the end of season 2023/24. Suspended sanction applicable only should Brendan Rodgers further breach Disciplinary Rule 72 within this period."

The Celtic boss was frustrated that Yang was initially shown a yellow card against Hearts for a high-boot challenge involving Hearts’ Alex Cochrane before referee Robertson upgraded it to a red, after being advised by Beaton to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Rodgers was further irked when the home side were awarded a penalty just before the break after a headed clearance from Celtic defender Liam Scales landed on Iwata’s arm. Jorge