'It should have...': Rangers VAR controversy questioned as ex-ref delivers verdict on Cyriel Dessers incident

Goals in either half from Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams secured a 2-0 second-leg win for Athletic Bilbao at San Mames, sending Rangers out of the competition and firing the LaLiga giants into the semi-finals of the Europa League in the process. However, in the aftermath of the clash, much of the discussion centred around denying the away a side a penalty in the 16th minute of the game.

Rangers were left aggrieved when referee Irfan Peljto was not called to his pitchside monitor by VAR official Paul van Boekel when Dessers had his shirt pulled - and ultimately ripped - in the box by Bilbao centre-back Dani Vivian when trying to latch on to a through ball.

The Nigerian, who was left bemused by the the decision to not award a penalty, was even booked by Bosnian referee Peljto for his complaints, with the Rangers number nine protesting to the official by showing him the sizeable hole in shirt that came as a result of the shirt pull.

“The ball gets deflected into the box and I wanted to make a run for it as I think I can get to it,” Dessers told TNT Sports in the aftermath of the game. “Then my shirt gets pulled and even if there’s doubt, just look at the shirt. If there’s a tear like this, something happened at least. You can’t rip a shirt in the box. It’s not possible in the middle of the pitch, never mind the box. So that was a game changer.”

Ex-Gers striker and Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd was as equally bemused by the lack of VAR review for the pull, branding the decision a “disgrace”, before saying: “It’s a stonewall penalty. Cyriel Dessers has had to go off to change his shirt. I cannot believe for the life of me why that has not been given as a penalty kick. He's [Peljto] not even been sent to the monitor.”

With Rangers sense of injustice clear, the decision has now slammed by former PGMOL chief and English Premier League referee Keith Hackett, who admits he can’t comprehend why the referee was not urged to look at the incident again by his VAR assistants, with the ex-official admitting the shirt pull on Dessers was a clear penalty.

Hackett, who referee in over over 50 countries and in the Champions League and European Championships during his long career in officiating, exclusively told FootballInsider. “The shirt pull should really have been picked up by VAR. He then should then have sent the referee to the monitor. It is difficult to understand why this clear offence was not acted upon and a penalty kick was not awarded.”