FORMER Rangers striker Nacho Novo says that the SFA tribunal panel must have been drinking when they decided Alfredo Morelos had dived against Aberdeen, and he has accused the governing body of destroying the game.
Novo was incensed when the appeal Rangers lodged against the caution their striker received for simulation after going down under a challenge from Andrew Considine in their Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat last week was booted out.
And while he doesn’t blame referee Kevin Clancy for issuing the booking on the night given how hard a job that officials have, he believes it is embarrassing that the decision was upheld after the footage had been reviewed.
“I was angry, because I’m quite honest and I just hate things like that,” Novo said. “They are destroying the game.
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“Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want any help and [Rangers] don’t need any help. We don’t ask for favours or anything, but you can see it.
“What the SFA should do is bring people in not related with Rangers or Celtic and make a panel where things can be worked out.
“It annoyed me, and for me, if they think that is Alfredo diving then they must be drinking or something. I think it’s just embarrassing if they think that’s a dive, it’s a penalty all day long.
“Referees have got a hard job, don’t get me wrong. You can’t always be spot-on all time, and the referee has thought it was a dive and booked him.
“The bit that’s wrong is when they review it and still think it’s a dive. For me, personally, it wasn’t.”
Morelos will find out today if he is set to face another charge after pushing Kilmarnock defender Kirk Broadfoot during the draw between the sides at Ibrox at the weekend.
Former Rangers defender Broadfoot stood on Morelos’s heel, prompting a furious reaction from the Colombian, but Novo believes the Rangers man was well within his rights to stand his ground.
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“How many players do you see pushing people? That’s the game,” he said.
“People are starting to kill the game now, there are so many rows and stupid things like players being punished for celebrating with the fans.
“Nothing bad is ever going to happen from that, they need to concentrate more on improving security for the players to stop fans getting on the park.
“For me, that’s the most important thing. I hope it never happens, but you just never know what a guy could do.
“You saw in the English Championship with the punch on Jack Grealish, it’s getting out of order.
“Obviously the incidents here weren’t as bad as that, but we have to have more security to stop fans coming on the park.
“We had the bottle being thrown in the Hibs game, and these things can do severe damage to players.
“[They are focusing on] stupid things like celebrating with the fans, this is what the fans and players want.”
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