REFFIN' HELL
Rangers hero Ally McCoist takes aim at refs for ‘lacking common sense’ as he brands Propper red card ‘absolute nonsense’
The Gers icon claimed: 'You've effectively got two laws!'
FURIOUS Ally McCoist branded the decision to send off Robin Propper in the first half against Athletic Bilbao as "absolute nonsense"
Rangers were reduced to 10 men after just 13 minutes the Dutch centre-back brought down Inaki Williams on the edge of the box.
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The Light Blues have continuously shown they're no pushovers in Europe but even with 11 players on the pitch it was always going to be a tough ask against the high-flying La Liga side.
But many fans would've feared the quarter-final tie was over already after Propper's dismissal, despite the game still being goalless.
The Dutchman was initially shown a yellow card before it was upgraded to a red following a VAR check.
It was deemed the 31-year-old had denied a goal-scoring opportunity given he was the last line of defence and Williams would've had a clean strike on goal.
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McCoist, 62, did confess at the time that the Romanian officials had reached the correct decision 'by the letter of the law'
But the Light Blues legend believes there should've been 'common sense' applied to allow Propper to stay on the pitch with a more lenient verdict.
Reacting to the decision live on TNT Sports, McCoist said: "Well, by the letter of the law, it's probably the correct decision.
"But you ask anybody that's played the game at any level whatsoever 'should that be a red card?' and the answer, emphatically, will be no.
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"I actually think it's a lack of common sense by the officials. They'll say they're going by the laws of the game… By that interpretation, he's made the correct decision.
"But common sense there, it's wrong.
"Here's my question to you: if that's in the box, he doesn't get sent off, correct? So how daft is that?
"You've effectively got two different laws. Nonsense, absolute nonsense!"
After the full-time whistle had blown, McCoist was in no mood to back down.
Instead, he doubled down - insisting that the laws of the game are WRONG.
Speaking with Alan Hutton and Alex Rae on TNT after the game, McCoist said in an astonishing live on-air meltdown: "I was listening to the boys talk about the decisions.
"The sending off is nothing short of scandalous, I think.
"Don't try and tell me 'the laws of the game this, the laws of the game that'.
"Anybody who has played the game at any level knows that is not a red card.
"It's a disgraceful decision! And it spoils the game.
"It's not a sending off. If those are the laws of the game, the laws of the game are wrong!
"It's a tackle! It's a mistimed tackle and a free-kick, you can't be sending people off for that!"
Hutton explained that he felt it was a red card because Propper looked to be the last man, and Rae said Williams "would get a shot away".
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But McCoist continued: "I'm arguing the laws of the game are wrong.
"Guys, you canny be sending people off, that is a mistimed tackle, there's no intention to prevent him getting a goal-scoring opportunity, it's just a bad tackle."
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