Celtic call in top sports lawyer to fight Brendan Rodgers' SFA charge... with the Parkhead boss facing a minimum two-match ban for criticising officials after Hearts defeat

Celtic have hired one of Britain’s top sports lawyers to fight Brendan Rodgers’ SFA charge on Friday.

It’s believed that Nick De Marco, a King’s Counsel, has been engaged to help the Parkhead boss avoid a minimum two-game touchline ban for his comments about the officials following a 2-0 Premiership defeat at Hearts on March 3.

De Marco, whose services have been enlisted by Celtic in the past, has been hired by more than 40 clubs in various legal fights.

Now he will try to ensure the Northern Irishman isn’t forced to sit in the stand for Sunday’s trip to Livingston and the following week’s match at Ibrox.

Rodgers was outraged that winger Yang Hyun-jun had a yellow card upgraded to a red for a high tackle on Hearts player Alex Cochrane, before a penalty was given against Tomoki Iwata for handball.

Both decisions came after the intervention of VAR John Beaton, with match referee Don Robertson being called to his pitchside monitor.

The Celtic manager said at the time: ‘I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt.

‘But I think when I see that level of incompetence, which is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game.

‘In such a tight title race, that can make the difference. I also think that VAR is not the problem here. That’s clear. It’s competence. The first one is the sending off when there is no force.

‘Show a still image of that, of course, and you will see a foot up with the head near it, but it’s not the reality of the move. Don got it actually right on the field. It was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card — no malice or force.

‘For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was a sending off? I find that incredible.

‘The second one is worse. If you have a penalty go against you for that then there will be penalties every single weekend and midweek.’

Rodgers was charged by the SFA under Rule 72, Article 96.1, which prohibits criticism of officials ‘in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence’.

Unrepentant after being issued with a notice of complaint, Rodgers said: ‘My job is to defend the team, defend the club and that’s what we will do in this case.

‘We will defend it vigorously and, when the date comes, we will go from there.’