Former association football referee Bobby Madden gave his verdict over Celtic vs Braga referee and VAR decision

Former SPFL referee Bobby Madden has backed the officials in charge of Celtic’s Europa League defeat to Braga.
The Hoops went down 2-0 at Parkhead on Thursday, but thought they had levelled early in the second half when Kelechi Iheanacho weaved past two defenders and fired into the far corner.

Referee Tobias Stieler quickly ruled the effort out for handball, a decision confirmed by VAR after reviewing the replays.
Celtic supporters were furious, and Brendan Rodgers was left stunned by the call, with the club now waiting on UEFA’s explanation.

Madden, however, took to Instagram to defend the decision, stressing that it was Stieler’s assistant referee and fourth official who spotted the infringement before Iheanacho scored, not VAR afterwards. According to Madden, Stieler followed correct protocol by letting play continue before disallowing the goal once the handball was flagged.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg also weighed in, telling 67 Hail Hail that although the ruling was “incredibly harsh,” it was ultimately correct under the laws of the game.

He explained that while the ball initially appeared to come off Iheanacho’s head, slow-motion footage showed a slight touch on his arm before making contact with his head.

“This doesn’t feel right, but as the law stands, the referee team were correct,” Clattenburg said. “VAR reviewed all available angles and found contact. Without clear evidence to overturn it, the original decision had to stand. These were top officials, and I never expected them to get it wrong.”