Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha followed up his touchline Ibrox row with Scott Brown with an even more explosive bust-up with Celtic coach John Kennedy in the tunnel at half-time, according to the Glasgow Evening Times.
The newspaper claim that the heated argument, which began between the Portuguese and Scott Brown on the touchline, continued away from the cameras during the interval of Celtic’s 2-0 triumph at the home of their bitter rivals on Saturday.
Caixinha had complained to Brown about a supposed elbow on Alfredo Morelos and the Rangers manager and Celtic captain went eyeball to eyeball as the first-half ended, with other players then getting involved in the spat.
The Glasgow Evening Times report that “angry words were exchanged between both camps” as the players made their way back to the changing rooms.
It is said that Caixinha took exception to Kennedy and had to be calmed down as tempers frayed at the interval, and the Rangers’ boss exchange with Brown went to a new level.
OPINION
Tom Rogic, who scored Celtic’s first goal at Ibrox was critical of Caixinha’s behaviour and intimated that his own manager, Brendan Rodgers, would have too much class to get involved with an opposition player. Maybe, he is right. Rodgers tends to keep cool when the heat is on, but, then, things have domestically gone all his own way since he pitched up at Parkhead. Caixinha is not alone among Portugese managers in being feisty – a certain Manchester United boss has had endless dust-ups with opponents and officialdom in his own glittering career – and few Rangers fans will be bothered about him squaring up with Scott Brown on the touchline, or a member of the Celtic coaching staff in the tunnel. Controlled passion is the key. Caixinha needs to harness that desire and emotion, and use it to make Rangers a better team. Rangers’ players did not lose their heads in the second period, they were just picked apart by a stronger side with better players, as exemplified by Leigh Griffiths’ brilliantly taken goal.