Celtic skipper Scott Brown: I don’t deserve a ban

CELTIC captain Scott Brown is adamant he is innocent and does not fear a League Cup Final ban – but he has accused Dundee United’s Nadir Ciftci of “blatantly” kicking him in the head during the 1-1 Scottish Cup quarter-final draw at Tannadice.

Scott Brown says he doesn't deserve a banROSS TURPIE

Scott Brown says he doesn't deserve a ban

Brown’s crunching challenge on Ciftci, who appeared to retaliate, sparked the melee with Virgil van Dijk and Dundee United’s Calum Butcher clashing on the deck.

Celtic defender van Dijk and, in a case of mistaken identity, Paul Paton were red-carded by referee Craig Thomson following a lengthy consultation with assistant Graham Chambers.

SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan is studying the incident and has until 3pm today to decide whether to issue notices of complaint for violent conduct.

Brown, Ciftci and Butcher all face an anxious wait to see if they will be hit with retrospective bans. If they are, then Brown and Butcher could miss Sunday’s final, which Ciftci is already suspended for.

But Brown insists he should be in the clear as there was nothing wrong with his challenge.

Brown said: “People moan about the tackles, but if the ball is there to be won, go and win it, as long as it’s not dangerous and you don’t fly two-footed into somebody.

“The referee was two yards away and he saw that I won the ball.”

Brown insists he was caught in the face by Ciftci’s boot but does not believe there should be retrospective action.

He said: “The officials saw what they saw and made their decisions.

“I was kicked on the head. You can see that.

“I’m probably lucky it was to my face, to be fair, and not a part of my body. I’ve seen it on the replay and Ciftci has a wee kick out but it’s all handbags at the end of the day.”

He feels refs should get the help of video evidence during games.

Brown said: “Sunday would’ve been ideal. They stop the game for four or five minutes, slow the play down and eventually make the decisions.

“I knew it was the wrong decision at the time Paton got sent off.

“But, if they’d watched that back we would’ve been able to clearly see who it was.”

Brown also accused Aidan Connolly of diving to win Dundee United a first-half penalty which Ciftci scored.

He said: “I saw Anthony and Nir. Stokesey’s put his leg in and pulled it away. You can see he’s pulled his leg away before the lad’s gone down.

“It was a dive. He played it really well, I’ll give him that.”

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