Rangers manager Philippe Clement has come to the defense of Fabio Silva, a loanee from Wolves, following accusations of diving during the team’s 3-3 draw against Celtic. The Portugal Under-21 player was involved in a controversial incident that allowed Rangers to equalize after Celtic had a two-goal lead at half-time in a tense match at Ibrox.
In the second half, Silva was shown a yellow card for simulation when challenged by Alistair Johnston in Celtic’s area. However, referee John Beaton overturned the decision after a VAR review, awarding a penalty to Rangers.
Clement pushed back against critics of Silva and argued that Beaton made the correct decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor. Silva, who moved to Rangers on loan for the rest of the season, struggled to make a lasting impact at Wolves following a £35m transfer in 2020.
During a pre-match press conference ahead of Rangers’ upcoming match against Dundee, Clement expressed his frustration with outsiders commenting on his players, pointing out that players from other teams also go down frequently. He emphasized the need for certain aspects to be removed from the game, mentioning that it’s the responsibility of managers and referees. Clement also highlighted his disappointment with instances where goals are disallowed for reasons like going back more than 10 seconds but noted that he didn’t publicly comment on those situations, urging not to unfairly label Silva based on the diving incident as he was genuinely fouled, resulting in a penalty.
Former Rangers favourite makes Celtic Champions League claim
Craig Moore believes Celtic and Rangers will both drop points in the Premiership title race – but believes it will be the latter that will come out on top at the end of the season.
However, the former Rangers defender believes neither Glasgow club will make an impact in next season’s Champions League. As it stands, Celtic sit a point clear but that could all change on Wednesday night when Rangers play their game in hand at Dundee. Moore assessed the title race earlier this week and gave his thoughts on how either club would fare at European football’s top table.
Moore told GO Radio: “I’m gonna go Rangers. But I still think there’s gonna be some dropped points. Unfortunately, so far – and it doesn’t matter whether it’s Rangers or Celtic – the Champions League is beyond the two of them. They can compete but they can’t seem to find a way to get out. At the same time, bang on, you set yourself for the highest and to be involved in that is amazing.”
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