Deniz Undav did not hide his frustration after Stuttgart’s win over Celtic, even though his side went through 4-2 on aggregate. The striker saw a second-half goal ruled out after a VAR check and made his feelings clear at full-time.
On the night, Celtic won 1-0 in Germany. Luke McCowan’s early strike gave them hope, but Stuttgart controlled long spells and created enough chances to stay comfortable in the tie. Undav thought he had levelled on the night when he finished from close range, only for the goal to be overturned.
The decision centred on the build-up. A Stuttgart player had re-entered the pitch before the move developed, and VAR ruled the phase invalid. Martin O’Neill was vocal on the touchline.
After the match, he said his version was “pretty clear” that a player had “raced on the field without permission” and gained an advantage.
Undav saw it differently. While Stuttgart progressed, he was still simmering about the call post-match.
He said: (Sky Austria), “The most important thing is that we progressed…
“I’m angry, but I’ll keep that to myself.
“VAR is supposed to be there to help the game, but now it makes almost more mistakes than the referee on the pitch.
“Sometimes the people in Cologne – the VAR – seem to be watching with their eyes closed.
“It’s getting more and more ridiculous what nonsense VAR produces. I don’t even have an opinion on it anymore. It’s just nonsense.”
The difference in tone was clear. O’Neill kept going back to the same point. For him, it was not about a tight offside or a marginal call. It was about how the move even started.
If a player runs back onto the pitch without proper permission and gets involved straight away, that changes the picture for the defence. You are suddenly dealing with an extra runner you were not set for.
Undav aimed his frustration at VAR as a whole. He sees it as interference. O’Neill saw a basic rule being applied. One was talking about the system. The other was talking about the sequence of play.
Stuttgart still went through, and over the two legs they did enough. But on that moment, it is hard to argue with the idea that the restart mattered more than the finish.
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it was poor but Celtic have had some poor decisions against us by inept officails so we know how stuggart feel there goal was nit a goal cause the player was unlawfully on the pitch and should have been yellow carded same as McGregor taking a sore one in front off linesman and fourth officail cant ignore these incidents cause with so many camarea in stadium it makes officail look poor it same linesman had a few decisions overturned ref wasnt to good either the McGregor incident game was stopped by stugart using his hand and arm to stop Celtic player going through on goal yes just inside there half but he would be clear no booking with so much money involved and betting im sure these incedent are looked at laws have to be looked at cant just overlook things as human error