Vaclav Cerny has spoken out about his Old Firm water squirting incident, labelling the furore as "absurd".
The Rangers player is at the heart of a Police Scotland investigation following his actions after Hamza Igamane's last-gasp winner at Parkhead on Sunday. Cerny, 27, was seen squirting water towards the home supporters during the always fiery clash, which the visitors won 3-2.
Authorities have confirmed they are looking into the matter after receiving a report, with an active investigation underway. Celtic have also made their stance clear, stating they've communicated their concerns about interactions between away team members and Bhoys fans to the appropriate bodies.
Cerny arrived in the summer on loan from Wolfsburg and has so far contributed 17 goals and seven assists in 44 appearances in all competitions. He is currently with the Czech Republic squad for their World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar.
Speaking to Prague-based outlet iSport Blesk, Cerny suggested the squirting may have been accidental, a result of the excitement and the close quarters with the fans. When asked about it, Cerny said: "I don't want to say too much, I can't.
"I find it a bit absurd. The stands are so close, to have open water... I didn't even know what was happening at that moment. I just ran. It's a derby."
In his post-match press conference, Rangers boss Barry Ferguson was quick to distance himself from the incident. When asked if he saw what happened, he replied: "No, I was concentrating on making sure that I come up with the formation to see the game out.
"I'm just glad I wasn't involved. I've got the time and focus on my team, and that's what I was doing. You look at the clock.
"I don't know how many minutes were left. Was there seven or eight minutes? I need to make sure that we're drilled into the information just to see the game out and obviously come away with three points.”
Cerny now risks disciplinary action under SFA regulations which could lead to a suspension ranging from two to eight matches. Hampden bosses are feeling the heat from Police to ensure players don't engage with fans in the intense Old Firm atmosphere.
Cerny is set to take to the field when the Czechs go head-to-head with the Faroes on Saturday, before jetting off to Gibraltar on Tuesday. He'll then return to Ibrox as Barry Ferguson's squad takes on Dundee at Dens and Hibs at home.
They will then have an almighty clash in the Europa League, as they will play host to La Liga giants Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-final first leg on 10 April.
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