Strachan hits back at Romanov

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has accused Vladimir Romanov of “crying wolf” after claiming the Hearts majority shareholder criticised the referee following the Bhoys’ 2-1 Bank of Scotland Premier League win on Saturday.

Strachan had approached Romanov and acting head coach Eduard Malofeev to praise the Edinburgh side’s performance at Parkhead.

Hoops midfielder Jiri Jarosik headed an 85th-minute leveller amid some jostling with Hearts defender Ibrahim Tall and Craig Gordon’s own-goal came five minutes into injury time.

Strachan said: “He was with speaking to me. He did mention something about the referee.

“I was just congratulating him and his coach on a smashing performance and, no doubt about it, I heard the referee being mentioned.

“But there you go. I think it happens so often now. I think people look on it as crying wolf too often. You just get on with it.”

Romanov faces a Scottish Football Association hearing next month for an outburst on referees carried on his club’s official website which has already landed Hearts a £10,000 (€14,900) fine.