Athletic Bilbao v Rangers: Bill Leckie rages at controversy
Bill Leckie has issued his verdict on the incident involving Cyriel Dessers as Rangers suffered defeat against Athletic Bilbao.
The Spanish side won 2-0 at San Mames to book a spot in the UEFA Europa League semi-final.
They will now take on Manchester United, who won in dramatic fashion against Lyon at Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho’s statements brought up as Leckie slams officiating in game
Leckie was not pleased with the fact that Gers weren’t given a penalty despite Dessers being brought down in the penalty area and his shirt being torn off.
The VAR did not feel the need to send the on-field referee to review the footage on the monitor either.
Had he done that, it would be hard to argue against sending Dani Vivian off and that would’ve jeopardised Bilbao’s chances of winning the game.
| Opponent | Result |
| Dundee (A) | 3-4 W |
| Hibernian (H) | 0-2 L |
| Athletic Bilbao (H) | 0-0 D |
| Aberdeen (A) | 2-2 D |
| Athletic Bilbao (A) | 2-0 L |
Jose Mourinho stated that the officials are afraid to give decisions against the Spanish club as they’re the hosts of the Europa League final.
Leckie wrote in the Sun: “Anyone could see that Dani Vivian’s tug on Dessers six minutes in was a penalty.
“The clue was when the Nigerian stood up and the sponsor’s logo was hanging like a labrador’s tongue. Or did he just put that down to bad stitching at the factory?
“The incredible thing for me — though probably not so much for our old pal Jose Mourinho — is that VAR didn’t send Peljto to the monitor for a second look that would surely have convinced him to point to the spot.
“Then again, that would also have meant him showing Vivian a straight red. And that takes the kind of cojones none of the officials here seemed to possess.
“So not only do the appeals get waved away, Dessers ends up getting booked for what could have been any one of dissent, coming back on the pitch too soon after changing his top, giving the fourth official a dirty look or walking on the cracks in the pavement.
“After last week’s first leg, I poo-pooed Mourinho’s not-quite-jokey theory that Uefa were desperate for Athletic Club to be in the San Mames on May 21, a claim made after his old club Roma went there with a 2-1 first-leg lead only to have a man sent off inside the first 11 minutes.
“When you see a decision like this one, though? No wonder conspiracy theories happen.”
Rangers robbed of a semi-final spot due to poor officiating
The decision to deny Rangers a clear penalty in their 1-0 defeat was an egregious miscarriage of justice that robbed the Scottish side of a deserved Europa League semi-final spot.
Dessers was blatantly fouled by Vivian, whose shirt-tearing tug was as obvious a penalty as you’ll ever see, yet referee Irfan Peljto inexplicably waved play on.
The VAR’s failure to prompt a review is utterly indefensible, as a second look would have likely led to a penalty and Vivian’s red card, dramatically altering the match’s outcome.
This wasn’t just a mistake but it was cowardice, as Leckie and Mourinho suggested, hinting at officials’ reluctance to make bold calls against the club hosting the final.
Booking Dessers after it only added insult to injury, compounding the sense of injustice.
Rangers’ European dream was unjustly snatched away by this shameful officiating, and UEFA must be held accountable.
Hiring competent, courageous referees is imperative to restore trust and ensure such travesties don’t tarnish the competition again.