Rangers' new gaffer Derek McInnes is set to get his tenure off to a fiery start – from the stands! The Scottish Football Association has handed him a four-match ban, a bitter pill to swallow for the Ibrox boss after just getting the job. It's all down to his explosive comments last season, when he branded that contentious VAR decision against Celtic as 'disgusting'. We're talking about the one that gave Kelechi Iheanacho a penalty in stoppage time during Celtic's 3-2 win at Fir Park – a match that would ultimately go on to decide the Scottish Premiership title.
The drama unfolded back in April, when McInnes was still plying his trade at Hearts. His side had already beaten Falkirk 3-0 that day, but all eyes were on Fir Park as Celtic edged past Motherwell with a late penalty. That one point made all the difference for Martin O'Neill's men, who sealed their fifth consecutive league title on the final day of the season.
Fast forward to Hampden this week, and McInnes' comments had caught up with him. The Scottish FA found him guilty of breaching Rule 72 – the rule that prohibits moaning at officials' decisions or questioning a referee's character. And it's a four-match ban he'll have to serve, with one match suspended until the end of the 2026-27 season.
For Rangers, this means their new boss will be watching from the stands as they start their Premiership campaign. He'll miss their opener at Dundee United next Friday and subsequent home matches against Hibernian and St Mirren – a tough way to begin life in charge at Ibrox. And he's not alone, either – Elliot Watt, who was part of Motherwell's midfield that day, received the same four-match punishment for his own comments on social media.