PHILIPPE Clement has condemned the Rangers fans who threw missiles at Celtic players and coaching staff during the Old Firm game at Ibrox on Sunday and revealed the Govan club are currently attempting to identify and punish the culprits.
Parkhead playmaker Matt O’Riley had a glass bottle hurled at him after he scored a penalty in the first-half of the cinch Premiership match and assistant manager John Kennedy was also pelted with coins in the visitors’ technical area.
Celtic have publicly condemned the incidents, which are currently being investigated by Police Scotland, as “totally unacceptable” and have contacted their Glasgow rivals to raise their “serious concerns”.
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Clement, whose team fought back to draw the cinch Premiership match 3-3 and keep alive their chances of moving two points clear at the top of the league table in their game in hand against Dundee at Dens Park, did not see the missiles being thrown at the time.
However, the Belgian has witnessed his own players being subjected to the same treatment at grounds around the country since he arrived in Scotland back in October and he was disappointed when he learned that it had happened.
“I didn’t see that, I hear that,” he said. “I don’t want that things are thrown on the pitch, not at Ibrox. We had it a few times at other pitches against us so it is not a good thing. So the club is busy with that, to see who is doing that. It is not what we want in our club.
“Of course the support we received was positive. And everyone wants that and nobody wants anything else. I didn’t see it, but I hear that it happened. The club is investigating this.”
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Clement confirmed yesterday that Rangers left back Ridvan Yilmaz, who picked up an injury when he was representing Turkey during the international break last month, will not be available to face Dundee on Tayside this evening if the Premiership game goes ahead as scheduled. However, he stated the defender will be out for “days not weeks”.
The former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco manager admitted that he may not field some of his players against Dundee because of the condition of the Dens Park pitch – which is subject to an 11am inspection.
“Of course I need to take that into account, like I do in every game,” he said. “I always take these things into account. It depends on the situation. I will see the situation tomorrow.
“I will see also what the people who go earlier to watch the situation say. I will know better what it is and then I will make the right decision. But I always need to take everything into account.”
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