Rangers legend McCoist blasts ref Vincic over Lundstram tackle

 

Rangers legend Ally McCoist believes referee Slavko Vincic was right not to send off John Lundstram in the Europa League final, despite his high tackle on Sebastian Rode leaving the Frankfurt midfielder with a bloody head. .

The incident occurred when the two players collided outside the Frankfurt area in the sixth minute of the match in Seville and there was a long delay while Rode received treatment.

Lundstram went for the ball with his boot up and caught Rode, who had ducked his head toward him.

John Lundstram caught Sebastian Rode with a high challenge in the sixth minute of the final

Former referee Peter Walton told BT Sport that the challenge did not deserve a red card, mainly because of the move made by Rode, but the Rangers midfielder should have been booked.

The Frankfurt bench asked Vincic to take action against the Englishman but the referee and VAR decided against it.

“I thought he might have gotten a yellow card, it was accidental and it was nice for us in the studio that he didn’t get a red card,” McCoist told BT Sport.

Former Rangers forward Kenny Miller said he was glad Vincic wasn’t influenced by the blood and the fact that Rode was forced to change his jersey after the tackle.

“We were talking in the build up about what a huge impact refereeing and VAR could have on the match,” said Miller, who works as a BT Sport pundit for the game.

“When you see blood, or the extent of the injury, sometimes that influences the referee, but luckily it didn’t. He [Lundstram] he touched the ball very lightly and the referee has given him the benefit of the doubt.’

Owen Hargreaves admitted there were “nerves” in the BT Sport studio, but said they were grateful Vincic “stayed out of it”.

The reaction on social media was much stronger, with several insisting that Lundstram should have received his marching orders.

‘How did he not even get a yellow il? [sic] you never know,” @DarrenMeehan2 wrote on Twitter, while another user, @ChiefPunter, said: “Easiest red card you could give. He didn’t even take a free throw.

@Agbonogha added: “If Xhaka did this I assure you he’ll get a x2 red card”, and @logiebear 196725 described it as a “horrible challenge”.

Others compared the incident to Nani’s red card in a Champions League match between Manchester United and Real Madrid in March 2013. The Portuguese winger was sent off for a high tackle on Álvaro Arbeloa in the match at Old Trafford. . The match meanwhile is set to go into penalties after 1-1 draw after extra time