Rangers expert issues intriguing verdict as James Sands controversy analysed
Alan Hutton has praised the linesman for helping the referee overturn James Sands’ second yellow card as Rangers beat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-0 on Tuesday (9 August).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Gers defender admitted he “panicked” when first viewing the tackle.
Rangers overcame a two goal deficit to beat Union 3-0 in their third round Champions League qualifier.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have progressed to the play-offs where they will face PSV Eindhoven.
Referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos showed Sands a second yellow card following a challenge on Union’s Dante Vanzeir.
However, the Greek official reversed the decision after consulting one of his assistants.
As quoted by The National (10 August), Giovanni van Bronckhorst said he was “happy” with the referee’s decisions in the game.
When asked for his assessment of the decision, Hutton told Football Insider: “First I panicked because he had lunged in and I knew he’d already been booked.
“Initially I did think it was a second yellow and he was going to be off which would have made the game more difficult at that moment in time. But I think the referee made the right decision in the end. He went over and spoke to the linesman who saw it a lot clearer than he did himself.
“Seeing the replay, it was a good tackle. It was a strong challenge.
“I think especially in European competitions you have to be careful when you start lunging into tackles but ultimately he did win the ball and it was a fair challenge so it was rightly rescinded.“
In other news, an ex-Uefa official claimed Rangers were victims of injustice as controversial Connor Goldson footage emerges.