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Scottish FA Charges St Johnstone Manager Over Post-Match Comments

St Johnstone’s manager, Craig Levein, is facing charges from the Scottish FA following his remarks after a recent match against Motherwell. Levein expressed his displeasure regarding a contentious decision that occurred during the game, which saw his team incur a 2-1 defeat.

The veteran manager’s frustration centered on the second yellow card issued to defender Jack Sanders during stoppage time. This incident added to an already heated atmosphere surrounding two recent matches involving St Johnstone.

Prior to the match against Motherwell, St Johnstone had experienced a controversial League Cup defeat against Rangers. In that game, there was confusion when it appeared that referee Matthew MacDermid had signaled a foul just before Cyriel Dessers scored for Rangers. Nonetheless, St Johnstone later clarified that the audio evidence indicated the goal was valid, as the referee allowed play to continue despite the foul indication. This meant that the decision did not violate VAR protocols.

Following the defeat to Motherwell, Levein maintained that the officiating during the Rangers match was misguided. He was also critical of the fourth official’s involvement in Sanders’ sending off, arguing that such intervention was unnecessary. “He doesn’t need to get involved – the referee has seen what happened,” Levein commented, highlighting his frustration with the officiating process.

Levein further expressed skepticism about the efficacy of communicating with referees post-match, suggesting it was futile, particularly after the turbulent experience with the decisions made during the Rangers game. “After the Rangers debacle you know what’s going to happen. It’ll be swept under the carpet,” he remarked.

A hearing to address the charges against Levein is scheduled for 26 September, where the situation will be further examined by the relevant authorities.

Source
www.bbc.com