Jens Berthel Askou has continued to question the decision to award Celtic a late penalty against Motherwell as the fallout from Wednesday night’s dramatic match at Fir Park rolls on.
The Motherwell manager was furious after John Beaton awarded Celtic a stoppage-time spot-kick following a VAR review for Sam Nicholson’s handball inside the box.
Kelechi Iheanacho converted the penalty to give Celtic a 3-2 win and take the Premiership title race to the final day against Hearts.
Two days later, speaking ahead of Motherwell’s final fixture against Hibs, the Dane again referenced the decision while widening the conversation toward standards across Scottish football more generally.
The Motherwell boss suggested the league needs improvement in several areas, including infrastructure and officiating technology.
His latest comments came during Friday’s pre-match media conference.
He said: (PLZ Soccer), “It’s not just the software and the amount of cameras and resources they have available that has to improve, we also have to be better, we have to invest in better infrastructure, we need better pitches, we need a better training ground, we need better stadiums, some of them are growing a little bit old here and there, and we need players to improve, we need better coaching as well.”
Askou’s frustration around the penalty decision has clearly not faded since Wednesday night.
The Motherwell manager has now spoken publicly about the incident on multiple occasions as debate continues around the handball call involving Nicholson and Auston Trusty late in stoppage time.
At the same time, Askou also appeared keen to broaden the issue beyond one refereeing decision.
His comments around camera numbers and stadium infrastructure point toward the wider limitations Scottish football still faces compared to larger European leagues and the Premier League.
Fir Park operated with fewer broadcast angles than would normally be available in England’s top flight.
The debate itself is unlikely to disappear any time soon.
Especially with Celtic now heading into a title decider against Hearts on Saturday afternoon after Iheanacho’s late winner kept the championship race alive.
Keep Reading
One Response
I don’t know whether he is being considered for the Celtic job, but having observed his continued reaction to the VAR decision the other night, I am convinced that he is not suitable for the position. His comments are not measured and he is letting his feelings get the better of him. The Celtic job is far too big for someone like that.