Hearts have taken an apparent swipe at Martin O’Neill after the Celtic manager defended supporters following the chaotic scenes at Celtic Park during Saturday’s dramatic title decider.
O’Neill guided Celtic to one of the most unlikely league triumphs in recent memory, with the Hoops overturning Hearts on the final day to secure a fifth consecutive Premiership crown despite a season filled with managerial chaos, fan unrest and inconsistency.
As Callum Osmand fired home Celtic’s third goal deep into stoppage time, supporters flooded onto the pitch in celebration.
Some fans had already entered the field when the goal went in, knowing the title had effectively been secured with only seconds remaining.
Police Scotland and the SPFL are continuing to investigate the scenes, while Hearts have alleged some of their players and staff were assaulted or intimidated during the disorder.
Speaking earlier this week on talkSPORT, O’Neill pushed back strongly against some of the claims being made and suggested there had been “a lot of hyperbole” surrounding the allegations.
The Celtic boss argued the game was effectively over when the third goal went in and pointed towards the emotional nature of supporters reacting to a title-winning moment at home.
During a tense exchange with Jim White, O’Neill also questioned why Celtic were seemingly being treated differently from other clubs whose fans have entered the pitch during major celebrations.
While he did not directly condone supporters entering the field, he clearly felt some of the reaction had been exaggerated.
And Hearts now appear to have responded directly to those comments in a strongly-worded statement released on Wednesday.
The Edinburgh club said:
“We are aware of highly irresponsible comments made publicly this week, which appear to seek to defend those who entered the pitch on Saturday and undermine the gravity of the situation.
“Those remarks carry dangerous implications, and we call upon the football authorities to ensure that this matter is addressed with the seriousness it demands, and with the full cooperation of all involved.”
Although O’Neill was not named directly, the timing and wording of the statement strongly suggests Hearts were responding to the Celtic manager’s radio interview.
The fallout from the title decider continues to intensify despite Celtic’s historic achievement on the pitch, with investigations still ongoing into both the pitch invasion at Celtic Park and disorder later that evening in Glasgow city centre.
