Of course, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was inevitably going to be asked about THAT Vaclav Cerny incident in the previous Old Firm derby.
Hamza Igamane’s late strike secured a memorable 3-2 win for Rangers over Celtic at Parkhead, their first triumph there since October 2020.
And the Moroccan’s sensational goal sparked wild celebrations amongst the Rangers fans and the away dugout, with Ferguson, his staff and players jumping for joy.
Cerny was caught on camera racing past the dugout and spraying water on some nearby Celtic fans as he struggled to contain his sheer emotion.
It then led to an over-the-top fallout with Police Scotland launching an investigation into the flashpoint, leaving Cerny absolutely baffled.
Cerny is also facing a probe by the SFA for his act and a report stated the winger could face a lengthy ban – although there has been silence in that regard so far.
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Rodgers has now given his detailed take of the situation and branded Cerny ‘disrespectful’ for what he did to some Celtic fans, saying it crossed a line.
Here’s every word of what the Celtic manager had to say: “My honest take is that I know the club are dealing with it. I haven’t seen anything, because after the game I went away.
“You know, when you lose a game of that magnitude, you don’t read anything or listen to anything, you just get away. But I obviously heard what had happened and you can’t do that. That’s the reality.
“I understand the jubilation and Rangers players have every right to celebrate with their supporters. You come to Celtic Park, like it would be if we go to Ibrox, you win a game of that magnitude then you celebrate. But not in that way.”
Rodgers was then asked if he would reprimand one of his players if they carried out the same act. The Northern Irishman responded: “Yes, I would. It’s disrespect, isn’t it?
“It’s a lack of respect if a player runs up a touchline and he’s squirting a water bottle in a supporter’s face. I certainly wouldn’t want my players to do that.
“In the main, the players do (behave) and listen, it works both ways and there’s a lot coming in to players as well from the stand to coaches, managers and players.
“But I think we all know there’s a line we shouldn’t cross.
“It’s an amazing fixture and an emotive game and I thought it was great to have the fans back in and that gave it an extra bit as well.
“But there’s lines and you can’t antagonise, especially in this fixture, because that can lead to an issue.”
How did Barry Ferguson react to Vaclav Cerny’s behaviour?
Ferguson addressed the press on Thursday as he prepares his Rangers team for a Saturday night trip to Dens Park against Dundee.
He was, of course, quizzed on the Cerny incident and the fallout that followed, revealing that he had a quick word with the Czech star about it.
However, while he admitted Cerny got a bit overexcited, he doesn’t have a problem with his players celebrating a goal like they did at Parkhead.
Ferguson said: ”The reaction was, he’s excited because his teammate’s just scored what was to be the winning goal. I would have a problem if my players and my staff sat on their seat and never said a word or done anything.
”Yeah sometimes you get a wee big overexcited, I’ve no issues with that. As I said, Vac was just overexcited with his teammate Hamza scoring a goal to get us a three points where we’ve not been able to do that for five years, which is a long, long time.
“I’ll let them deal with that. I’ve had a private chat with Vaclav Cerny. But one thing I’ve made clear to my players and my staff is when we score, we celebrate.
“After the game, whether it’s Celtic, whether it’s Fenerbahce, whether it’s St Mirren, Dundee, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts if that whistle goes and we’ve won three points, I have no issue with going and celebrating with your fans.”
