Ex-FIFA official blasts ref over Vaclav Cerny's 'deliberate' Rangers incident

03/13/2025 06:53 PM

Vaclav Cerny deserved at least a caution following a “reckless” incident during Rangers’ Europa League clash against Fenerbahce on Thursday, Keith Hackett claimed.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the referee’s positioning to witness the offence was not good enough to take action.

Barry Ferguson‘s side headed into the clash second-leg tie with a two-goal lead, and Cerny might have put even more daylight in between the two teams with multiple early chances on 13 March.

However, the Light Blues failed to take their chances, allowing Jose Mourinho’s side back into the game as Sebastian Szymanski fired past Jack Butland with seconds left of the first half.

The Poland international haunted the Gers yet again in the second half, tying up the aggregate score with 17 minutes of normal time left to play and under immense pressure from Fenerbahce.

Fenerbahce could not take advantage, though, with the game eventually going to extra time and penalty kicks, where Butland became the hero as Ibrox erupted from the rafters.

Vaclav Cerny could have seen red against Fenerbahce

Hackett slammed a controversial decision just moments before, with Fenerbahce “right to feel aggrieved” against Rangers as Anderson Talisca was booked for simulation despite clear contact from Jefte.

Then, the Gers attacker made contact with the face of one of his opponents with a swinging arm, leaving the player down in a heap on the Ibrox turf, and Cerny was saved by another of the referee’s mistakes.

The 23-year-old has picked up multiple cautions since arriving in Glasgow last summer, often being too enthusiastic when it comes to winning back possession, and that seems to have occurred again.

Cerny was integral for Rangers in the first leg, notching a brace over in Turkey before returning home for the second leg, but he might have been lucky to still be on the pitch following the incident in question.

Rangers saved by another refereeing mistake at Ibrox

Speaking to Football Insider about Cerny’s potential offence, the former referee said:

“The player deliberately used his flailing arm in a reckless manner and the referee was not in a good position to witness the offence.

“This was a reckless act and the minimum sanction of a yellow card should have been given to the player.”

With the Scottish Premiership title no longer a possibility for the Light Blues, their Europa League journey was the only thing keeping the excitement going at Ibrox and that is still very much alive.

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