New Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been banned from the touchline for four matches by the Scottish Football Association, after he called Celtic's stoppage-time penalty against Motherwell last season "disgusting" while still Hearts manager. The controversial spot-kick, awarded by referee John Beaton following a VAR intervention, proved decisive in the Scottish Premiership title race and meant Celtic retained the championship for a fifth successive season. The ruling means McInnes will begin his Rangers tenure watching from the stands rather than the touchline.

McInnes was charged under rule 72 of the SFA's disciplinary guidelines after making the comments following Hearts' 3-0 win over Falkirk, with a Hampden hearing on Wednesday finding the charge proven; one of the four matches is suspended until the end of the 2026-27 season. He will miss Rangers' opening league fixture away to Dundee United, plus home matches against Hibernian and St Mirren. In a related case, former Motherwell midfielder Elliot Watt, now at Samsunspor, received an identical four-match ban for calling the same decision "the worst VAR decision in history" on social media.