Ross County manager Jim McIntyre insists Alex Schalk’s controversial dive against Celtic was unacceptable and has revealed that the ‘distraught’ Dutchman has apologised for his actions.
Schalk won a penalty, which was converted by Liam Boyce, in the dying stages of Sunday’s 2-2 draw at home to Celtic after falling to the ground - even though footage shows there was no contact with Hoops defender Erik Sviatchenko.
McIntyre refused to condemn the striker after the game, saying that 24-year-old has been ‘expecting contact’.
But with the Scottish FA expected to hand out a two-game suspension over a breach of disciplinary rule 201, McIntyre accepts that Schalk let himself and the club down.
He said: “We know it's going to come and we will accept the punishment.
"Alex was in the wrong, there was no contact. He has come and apologised to me personally.
“He is very upset about it because he has never been involved in an incident like this before, he's never been booked for simulation so he was quite distraught, actually, when he viewed the footage back.
"It doesn't look good, we as a club will take that punishment on the chin and Alex and I have had a conversation, he knows it is unacceptable and it won’t happen again.”
McIntyre concedes the one-time Netherland Under-21 internationalist has also now made himself a target for referees.
Speaking to STV, McIntyre, who is set to be without the forward for games against Inverness and Motherwell as the Staggies look to move away from relegation trouble, added: “His reputation will be tarnished, but as I say he has never been involved in an incident like this before, he has ever been booked for simulation.
"From our point of view, we know that Alex will be getting looked at because he has done it before but it is up to Alex to make sure that he is not involved in any other scenarios."
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