SFA KMI panel say Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate SHOULD have been sent off for Kilmarnock tackle

An SFA VAR panel has found that Reo Hatate SHOULD have been sent off in Celtic’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock last weekend.

The incident occurred in the closing stages as Brendan Rodgers’ side overcame a stubborn and determined Killie at Rugby Park to jump back to the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with the visiting midfielder sliding in late on the home player Liam Donnelly. Referee Nick Walsh did not show Hatate a red card and the VAR team did not recommend an on-field review of the incident with the player staying on the pitch.

However, the governing body’s Key Match Incident (KMI) panel has now voted in a 3-2 split that the 26-year-old should have been shown a red, and that they were “deeming the onfield decision incorrect”. Furthermore, the panel voted in favour of this as they viewed the challenge as one that “endangered the safety of the opponent,” however, two of the members were unsure about the “clear an obvious” nature of the tackle and voted that the decision was correct from the referee.

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Here is the full decision from the KMI panel results, released this afternoon:

The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (3:2) deeming the onfield decision incorrect. The majority (3:2) believed that VAR should have intervened and recommended an OFR for a red card to be awarded as they believed that the challenge endangered the safety of the opponent. Two members of the panel highlighted that they didn't think the potential foul was clear and obvious enough for VAR to get involved and a cautionsufficed.

The panel agreed all other decision that were referred to them were correct, with one from the same game unanimously agreed upon. In the early stages, Killie's Joe Wright clashed with Celtic's Adam Idah and the decision went 5-0 in favour of the correct decision being made on field by the referee. For that call, they added: "The on-field decision was unanimously supported."