Chris Sutton slams Steven Gerrard for Celtic Park incident

Celtic legend Chris Sutton slams Rangers’ Steven Gerrard after Alfredo Morelos‘ horrendous display at Parkhead last Sunday.

Celtic were crushingly defeated by Rangers on December 29th, just prior to the winter break. It was the first time Rangers were able to find the win this season against the Hoops, and they acted like they had won the championship when the clock ran out.

Alfredo Morelos, who has not been able to score a single goal against Celtic in his entire career, still could not find the back of then net during the fixture. Oddly enough, the Colombian disgraced himself and Scottish football by making a throat slitting gesture to Hoops fans during the December 29th match.

The SFA has yet to do anything to Alfredo Morelos for his embarrassing and frankly, irresponsible actions. He claims racial abuse, and “cultural norms” allowed him to make the gesture without penalty.

Now, Hoops legend Chris Sutton is slamming Rangers manager Steven Gerrard for not having the gall to step up and discipline his player in his Daily Record column:

"“When I said Morelos should be handed a five-game ban for his throat-slitting sign at Celtic Park on Sunday, it wasn’t about the Rangers striker, the result or anything else. It was purely about the message this sends out about Scottish football. It’s a much wider issue…“Also, why has the manager of the club not come out and condemned this gesture for what it is? A violent gesture. That’s what I find difficult to understand. It’s Steven Gerrard ’s responsibility as gaffer of Rangers to come out and condemn it. Just as it would be Neil Lennon’s responsibility on the other side of the city.”"

Here is the difference for everyone at home reading this: Gerrard isn’t Neil Lennon, and Rangers don’t operate by the same societal, economical, or ethical norms that Celtic does. This has been proven throughout the last decade.

Steven Gerrard won’t condemn the action, because he can’t. Without the negative press, Rangers would receive less press domestically, and zero press globally. Even bad press is good press for a club like Rangers.

Until the SFA decides to treat each and every club, player and fan base equally, more and more racially, and violence charged actions will continue to take place in Scottish football.