Fuming former referee Steve Conroy reckons Celtic star Reo Hatate should receive a retrospective two game ban for diving during the Scottish Cup quarter-final with Hearts.
Ange Postecoglou's side cruised into the semi-finals with a comfortable 3-0 victory at Tynecastle to book a showdown with rivals Rangers, with the Australian looking to lift the only piece of silverware that has eluded him so far in Scotland at Hampden to close out the campaign when the final comes around. However, Conroy reckons that the key Parkhead midfielder should not be able to face Michael Beale's men.
The retired whistler insists the SFA should step in and issue a retrospective red card after the Japan cap tumbled to the floor following Orestis Kiomourtzoglou's challenge, moments after the Hearts man had bundled into Kyogo Furuhashi with the visitors leading 1-0. Kiomourtzoglou received a yellow card for the challenge on the striker.
Kevin Clancy did not take action against the Celtic star for his reaction to the follow up challenge, while Willie Collum was not involved as Hatate could not have received a red card for his response the challenge. However, Conroy reckons that the VAR "anomaly" should not let off the 25-year-old.
Conroy told Grosvenor Sport : “We have advocated for some time that there should be a retrospective red card issued – and therefore a two-match suspension – for what was blatant cheating. The anomaly is that VAR can’t get involved because diving is not an ordering-off offence.
“Reo Hatate has been a terrific player in Scottish football but that was bad. It’s a blight and it’s horrible to see and I don’t know why retrospective action is not being taken by the SFA for these offences – they seem to have stopped doing it.”
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