Vaclav Cerny appeal verdict shared after ‘irresponsible’ Rangers actions
Rangers supporters had a week that will go down in folklore under Barry Ferguson earlier this month.
The way they battled past a stubborn Jose Mourinho-inspired Fenerbahce at Ibrox (13 March) to keep their season alive in Europe was momentous.
Hamza Igamane’s late strike to stun Celtic Park and claim a long-awaited away win against the old enemy three days later was something special.
But now Rangers find themselves in the mire with both domestic and European investigations into recent behaviour of players and supporters alike.
Vaclav Cerny branded ‘way out of line’ amid Celtic controversy
Investigations are abound for Rangers at present, with supporters having been at the receiving end of a scathing official club statement following the unfurling of a banner against Fenerbahce in the Copland Road stand.
Mohamed Diomande has been criticised for allegedly mimicking a gun in his goal celebration at Celtic Park (16 March), and now Cerny risks a lengthy ban after squirting home supporters with a water bottle in response to missile-throwing before Igamane’s late decisive goal.
Matthew Lindsay, chief football writer for The National (22 March), has lamented Cerny – branding his actions “way out of line” and noting Rangers should expect an SFA ban for the loanee winger which would be difficult to appeal.
“Personally, I thought the Czech Republic internationalist was way, way out of line,” Lindsay conceded.
“Do highly-paid professionals not, particularly in such a combustible environment, have to be held to a higher standard than those in the baying mob and set an example to the general public? What Cerny did was irresponsible.
“Talk of police action is, for me, way over the top. A quiet word, a ticking off, a warning about future conduct, should suffice. However, the player can have no complaints if an SFA ban is forthcoming. It will be difficult for his paymasters to justify an appeal.”
Cerny achieves cult hero status with Rangers fans
Since arriving on loan from Wolfsburg last summer, Cerny has made a considerable impact in Glasgow.
The 27-year-old has accumulated 24 goal contributions in 44 games this season across all competitions, which has included an impressive 17 goals from the wing – and in big games, too.
The Czech was an instrumental part of Rangers’ passage into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and has evidently taken the club to his heart – otherwise, let’s face it, that incident at Celtic Park would have no added reason to happen.
| Vaclav Cerny at Rangers | Goals | Assists | Total |
| All competitions | 17 | 7 | 24 |
Cerny’s match-worn shirt is currently auctioning for a price now exceeding £24,000 – most others have not even hit a grand. That tells you all you need to know about how much the Gers fans value the winger’s actions from the away dugout at Celtic Park as a ‘cult hero’ moment.
It’s exactly that sort of ‘-housery’ that becomes long-appreciated throughout many rivalries, and no less so in Scottish football.
Rangers fans will now have everything crossed Cerny can continue to appear in their remaining league games before they somehow look to keep him at Ibrox longer. Luckily for them, a prospective ban would not affect the Europa League – which in the eyes of many probably confirms his actions worthwhile.