Martin O’Neill explains why he ‘apologised’ to the fourth official during Celtic’s mauling of Hearts

Martin O'Neill revealed he apologized to the fourth official after protesting a throw-in decision during Celtic's 7-1 victory over Hearts. Despite holding a comfortable 4-0 lead at the time, O'Neill voiced frustration after the referee permitted Hearts to take a throw-in 20 yards further up the pitch, which subsequently led to Laurent Mendy scoring for the opposition.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, O'Neill blamed the league's multi-ball system for allowing play to restart too quickly and far from the original infraction. Although acknowledging that multi-ball setups sometimes benefit his team, O'Neill maintained that the distance gained was excessive before apologizing for his touchline reaction.