EDINBURGH, Scotland — Hearts expressed concerns Wednesday that a “troubling precedent” was set when their Scottish title decider against Celtic last weekend was ended before the match had officially finished following a pitch invasion.
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The Edinburgh club said it had written a letter to Scotland’s soccer authorities regarding what it describes as “the circumstances surrounding the premature ending of the match.”
Callum Osmand’s goal in the eighth and last minute of stoppage time sealed a title-clinching 3-1 win for Celtic on Saturday and sparked wild celebrations among its fans, with hundreds running onto the pitch and getting close to Hearts’ dejected players.
The game appeared to be brought to an end before playing the full amount of stoppage time. The Scottish Professional Football League has since clarified that it has been informed by the referee that “the match had ended and had not been abandoned.”
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In a Hearts statement, the club said its letter expressed “our concern that a troubling precedent has been set whereby a pitch invasion can effectively determine the duration of a football match, rather than the match officials.”
“We have asked them for a prompt response to the points we have raised,” Hearts said.
Celtic was crowned champion for the fifth straight year and 14th time in 15 seasons, while Hearts — the long-time leader — was denied a first Scottish league title since 1960.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
