Celtic interim manager John Kennedy.
CELTIC interim manager John Kennedy has questioned why five Rangers players are still being allowed to play nearly two months after they broke lockdown restrictions – and called for consistency from both the SFA and the Scottish government in how they deal with Covid-19 rule breaches. Kennedy has also rubbished the reasons given by his Rangers counterpart Steven Gerrard on Sunday for the Ibrox club appealing against the bans handed out Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude, Nathan Patterson and Bongani Zungu for attending an illegal gathering in Glasgow back in February. And he has confessed he is unclear why Rangers were able to field Patterson and name Bassey and Zungu on the bench in the Premiership match at Parkhead last month – and are clear to play the trio in the Scottish Cup last 16 game against his side in Govan a week tomorrow.
CELTIC interim manager John Kennedy yesterday made his displeasure known at the glaring discrepancies between how Parkhead left back Boli Bolingoli and Rangers’ Covid Five have been dealt with by the SFA after high-profile coronavirus protocol breaches. Back in August the governing body charged Bolingoli just five days after he broke strict guidelines by failing to go into quarantine after a trip to Spain and playing in a league game against Kilmarnock. The Belgian defender was handed a three game ban with a two match penalty suspended only two weeks later – just 19 days after his offence. In stark contrast, it took the SFA 23 days to charge Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude, Nathan Patterson and Bongani Zungu for attending an illegal gathering and no fewer than 44 days to hand out four game bans, with two match penalties, suspended.
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard STEVEN GERRARD admits he shares John Kennedy s frustrations regarding Covid-19 rule breaches in Scottish football and claims he feels his pain that Rangers will be able to field three first team players against Celtic next weekend. Kennedy has been critical of the Scottish FA for their handling of the cases involving Nathan Patterson, Bongani Zungu and Calvin Bassey, as well as youngsters Brian Kinnear and Dapo Mebude, after Rangers confirmed their intention to appeal their Hampden sanctions. The Ibrox five were given four-match bans, with a further two games suspended, for breaking Coronavirus regulations in February and the appeal hearing will not be heard until Tuesday, April 20.
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Report: Celtic now want to sign £2.5m man they turned down in 2019
(Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty Images
Celtic are once again interested in signing Brest flyer Romain Perraud although the Scottish giants will face competition from Premier League outfit Leeds United, as reported by the Mirror.
If Celtic could turn back the clock to the summer of 2019, you would imagine they would make a different decision about a jet-heeled left-back who, at the time, was desperate seal a move to the green half of Glasgow.
According to La Depeche, Perraud was willing to take a pay cut to join Neil Lennon’s side after an impressive breakthrough season in Ligue 2 with Paris FC.