Keith Hackett has defended the use of VAR in a controversial Rangers incident against St Mirren, insisting no mistakes were made despite a recheck after the on-field decision.
Rangers suffered a 2-1 defeat in Paisley on 26 December, with Danilo scoring before VAR intervened twice, either side of a substitution by the home team.
Michael Stewart labeled the situation as “bizarre” on Premier Sports, but Hackett clarified that as long as the game had not restarted, the officials acted within protocol.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, the former FIFA referee explained:
“The key point here is that the game had not restarted, so VAR could communicate with the referee and, if necessary, recommend a review on the screen. The substitution does not count as a restart.”
He added, “Hypothetically, if a red card-worthy incident had occurred during the substitution, the referee could still issue the card as the game had not resumed.”
Another VAR Debate for Rangers
While VAR decisions caught attention, Philippe Clement’s greater concern was his team’s poor display. Danilo not starting and Nico Raskin being benched raised questions, with their second-half impact highlighting the initial selection issues.
Rangers’ reliance on technology has been fraught with frustration in the past, but this time it was their own lackluster performance that proved costly, leaving Clement visibly angry post-match.
