Balde defended after ‘disgraceful’ tackle

CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan has defended Bobo Balde following his leg-breaking challenge on Leicester’s James Wesolowski, insisting what happened was an accident.

The 17-year-old Foxes midfielder underwent surgery yesterday and has had a pin inserted into his shattered leg following Balde’s challenge in Tuesday’s friendly at the Walkers Stadium.

Foxes boss Craig Levein branded the tackle “disgraceful, disgusting and malicious” but opposite number Strachan reckons there was no intent.

He said: “The referee has to decide if there is intent and I don’t even think he gave a foul. He was the guy closest to it - not me or Craig Levein - and he decided there was no intent.

“There is a blame culture in this country. But sometimes there can be accidents on the football field.

“You cannot blame someone for every incident. You cannot do that.

“What we need to be concerned about is the lad and we are now hoping the lad gets back to full fitness because until that point he was having a good game, he was enjoying himself.

“We wish him all the best and I will try to get in touch with him as soon as I can but I have been out the country since eight hours after the game finished.”

Levein said: “The surgeon was happy with the way the operation has gone. But we won’t know for a good few months whether it has been successful or not.”

Levein has urged Strachan to watch the video of Balde’s challenge. “I spoke to Gordon after the game and he said he would look at it. And the ref also has to look at his role in it,” said the Leicester boss.

Meanwhile, Carling have extended their sponsorship of Celtic and Rangers for another five years in an £18million deal.

Molson Coors, owners of the brewing giants, have signed an extension to their deal until 2010 which represents the largest sponsorship contract in Scottish football.