The Scottish Football Association has opened an investigation after violent scenes broke out following the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow.
Trouble erupted when a number of Celtic supporters ran onto the pitch to celebrate their team’s victory. The situation quickly escalated as hundreds of Rangers fans also entered the field, attempting to confront the visiting supporters.
“It is an ugly, ugly end to what has been a superb game of football”
Chaos breaks out on the pitch at Ibrox as both sets of fans end up on the pitch following Celtic’s penalty shootout win over Rangers pic.twitter.com/m8cmSHEkGM
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) March 8, 2026
During the chaos, Celtic defender Julian Araujo and a member of the club’s backroom staff were reportedly targeted by Rangers supporters. Missiles and fireworks were thrown while rival fans clashed before police and stewards eventually stepped in to form a barrier across the pitch.
Authorities detained one individual after Celtic players, including Tomas Cvancara, rushed toward an incident involving a member of their staff. Cvancara was later seen with blood stains on his shirt during a television interview, while Araujo was pushed by a Rangers supporter during the disorder.
The Scottish FA confirmed it will investigate the matter under its Judicial Panel Protocol and strongly condemned supporters who entered the playing area.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill said the incident occurred as his team were leaving the field.
“As we were heading back, there seemed to be some sort of confrontation when someone tried to get onto the pitch,” he said. “There is always excitement after a big win and fans want to celebrate with the players, but if things have gone too far then that is disappointing.”
The clash happened during the first Old Firm derby in nearly ten years to include a significant allocation of away supporters. Away fans had previously been banned in 2023 following repeated crowd trouble between the Glasgow rivals, before being reintroduced in smaller numbers last year.
This cup tie was viewed as a trial for allowing larger away crowds again.
Despite failing to record a shot on target across 120 minutes, Celtic still progressed to the semi-finals after winning the penalty shootout. Rangers captain James Tavernier struck the bar with the first penalty before Djeidi Gassama also missed. Cvancara then converted the decisive spot kick to secure Celtic’s victory before the chaotic scenes unfolded.
O’Neill acknowledged the heated nature of the derby but hopes the incident will not overshadow the result.
“There were a few confrontations and that’s unfortunate,” he said. “Old Firm matches have always been intense and emotional, which is part of what makes the derby so famous.”
Rangers manager Danny Rohl said he did not witness the events at the time.
“I wasn’t on the pitch then, so I didn’t see what happened,” he explained. “I only heard there had been an incident. We all understand the emotions after a game, but nobody wants to see situations like that.”
The defeat was another frustrating moment for Rangers, who had dominated large parts of the match with 24 shots and even saw a goal ruled out by VAR for a handball by Emmanuel Fernandez in extra time.
Backed by around 7,500 travelling supporters, Celtic eventually triumphed 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw following extra time at Ibrox.
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