HERE WE GO:“Fortunate or Fortunate Enough?” – Emmanuel Fernandez Escapes Punishment After Flashpoint With Celtic’s Arne Engels

Emmanuel Fernandez was branded “fortunate” after a heated flashpoint involving Celtic midfielder Arne Engels left fans, pundits and former players divided over yet another controversial moment in Scottish football.
The incident occurred during a tense spell of the match, when Emmanuel Fernandez appeared to catch Engels with a late and clumsy challenge. While the Celtic midfielder was clearly frustrated and immediately appealed for stronger action, the referee opted against producing a red card — a decision that quickly became the dominant talking point after full-time.
Replays showed Fernandez making contact that many felt crossed the line from committed to reckless. Several pundits described the defender as “fortunate” to stay on the pitch, with suggestions that a different official — or VAR intervention — could easily have resulted in a dismissal. Celtic supporters were left furious, pointing to recent decisions they feel have gone against them in key moments.
From the opposing perspective, there were claims that Fernandez had his eyes on the ball and that the challenge, while mistimed, didn’t meet the threshold for a sending-off. That argument did little to calm the backlash, especially as Engels required treatment before continuing.
The debate now rages on across social media and phone-ins: was it leniency, inconsistency, or simply another example of the grey areas in refereeing? What is clear is that incidents like this continue to fuel distrust and frustration, particularly in high-stakes fixtures involving Celtic.
For Fernandez, it was a moment that could have changed the course of the match — and possibly his own momentum — but instead he walked away unpunished. For Engels and Celtic, it was another flashpoint added to a growing list that fans won’t forget anytime soon.