Cyriel Dessers penalty shocker see Rangers shirts blamed as pundit argues with fans
Cyriel Dessers’ controversial penalty call in Rangers’ loss to Athletic Club continues to divide opinion and generate passionate arguments.
Rangers slumped out of the Europa League at the hands of Athletic following a 2-0 loss in Spain on Thursday, 17 April.
However, one of the major talking points from the game was referee Irfan Peljto’s decision to not award the Bears a penalty, even after Dessers’ shirt had a chunk ripped out of it.
Kris Boyd was furious with the decision, but pundit Marvin Bartley called into Clyde 1 Superscoreboard to make a point about the ripped shirt.
Marvin Bartley says there are ‘problems’ with shirts used by Rangers
Calling into the live show he often appears on, Bartley explained he had spoken to a kit-man who had revealed there were “problems” with the shirts used by Rangers, Wolves and Ireland.
The pundit claimed the unnamed kit-man had told him that when the shirts have sweat in them, they ripped easily, and Dessers’ torn jersey was not necessarily a sign that he was handled too forcefully.
When asked whether Bartley believed he agreed with the referee’s decision not to give a penalty, the pundit said he “could see why it was not given”.
Bartley then took to X, where he went back and forth with some aggrieved Rangers fans about the decision, but did so in a fun and respectful manner.
One fan said there was “no proof” of a defect in the shirt, to which Bartley responded by jokingly saying, “Maybe the defender had Incredible Hulk strength” in an image of Trai Hume tearing Anthony Gordon’s kit by pinching it between his thumb and fist.
Another fan then asked, “When was the last time this happened?”, with Bartley admitting it did not happen often, but over time the problem would lessen.
Ripped shirt or not Rangers deserved a penalty
Football Insider Verdict
Whether or not Dessers’ shirt had the tensile strength to withstand a pull or not, the fact that it did rip reveals that it was pulled.
As such, the Nigerian striker was deserving of a penalty that would have been a game-changer for Rangers.
Barry Ferguson’s team were brilliant in the first leg, surviving Robin Proppers’ red card early on and holding out for a draw at Ibrox.
Had the penalty been correctly awarded, Rangers had previously proven themselves capable of holding Athletic goalless and could be preparing to face Man United in the semi-final.
Instead, Ferguson and his side now face a relatively inconsequential end to the season, with Celtic all but guaranteed to take the league title.