Ex-Uefa official: Player set for extended ban as controversial Rabbi Matondo footage emerges from Rangers

Cammy Devlin can have no complaints with his red card as Hearts lost 4-0 to Rangers last week (1 October), according to Keith Hackett.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Uefa referee insisted Devlin’s challenge on Rabbi Matondo was “stupid”.

Matondo was shielding the ball as it rolled out of play, a good distance away from either goal, and was being jockeyed by Alex Cochrane.

Devlin ran in from a distance to launch a studs-up challenge on the 22-year-old’s ankle that left him in agony.

Referee Steven McLean wasted no time to show him a red card and he will now serve a two-game ban, starting with Hearts’ trip to Kilmarnock on Sunday (9 October).

The 24-year-old was dropped to the bench for the 2-0 loss to Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League on Thursday (6 October) but was introduced as a second-half substitute.

As quoted by PLZ Soccer, Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed he told Devlin after the game he was a “far better player” than the challenge showed.

“I think the referee’s right on this one,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.

“Referee’s spot on with this one.

“It could boil over. I genuinely think this was a good piece of refereeing. He was in quick, his prompt actions diffused it.

“I think the referee had a good game.

“It was a stupid challenge.”

Rangers followed up their 4-0 win at Tynecastle with a 2-0 defeat away to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday (4 October).

The Gers are next in action on Saturday (8 October) when they host third-place St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

In other news, a medical insider has revealed a John Souttar “gamble” has “backfired” as Rangers surgery details are revealed.

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