Celtic VAR Controversy Deepens After Camilo Durán Goal Is Disallowed Against St Mirren

Celtic secured a hard-fought 2–1 victory over St Mirren, but the result has been overshadowed by a major refereeing and VAR controversy surrounding Camilo Durán’s disallowed goal.

The incident occurred during a chaotic first half at the SMiSA Stadium, shortly after St Mirren had taken the lead from the penalty spot. Celtic appeared to have found an immediate equaliser when Durán reacted to a cross from Yang Hyun-Jun and turned the ball into the back of the net.

The Celtic players celebrated, believing they had levelled the match. However, the celebrations were quickly interrupted as VAR official Don Robertson began checking the goal for a possible offside.

After a lengthy review, the goal was ruled out.

VAR determined that Durán had been in an offside position when the ball was played. Reports described the decision as extremely tight, with some accounts suggesting the Colombian striker was only millimetres offside.

That decision immediately generated frustration among Celtic supporters. The main issue was not simply whether Durán was technically offside, but whether the available footage provided sufficiently convincing evidence to overturn what had initially appeared to be a legitimate goal.

Footage circulating after the match led to further debate, particularly over the exact frame used by VAR to determine the moment the ball was played. Supporters questioned whether the frame shown accurately represented the instant Yang made contact with the ball.

The controversy became even more significant because VAR subsequently experienced a technical problem.

At the beginning of the second half, the match was delayed because referee Ryan Lee appeared to have lost communication with the VAR team. Both sets of players were already on the pitch waiting for the restart when the issue became apparent.

The referee was seen discussing the problem with the fourth official before returning to the tunnel. The game eventually resumed after communication was restored.

For Celtic supporters, however, the VAR drama did not end there.

Deep into stoppage time, substitute Shim Mheuka appeared to score his first senior goal for Celtic. Once again, VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out for offside.

But this time, the controversy was arguably even greater.

Because of the technical problems, VAR was reportedly unable to provide the automated offside lines normally used to assist officials. Instead, referee Ryan Lee was required to examine the available footage himself before deciding that Mheuka was offside.

That sequence has raised serious questions about the reliability of the technology and the way crucial decisions are being made.

Celtic supporters will point out that two goals were ruled out during the same match, while the VAR system itself suffered a technical breakdown. Although the decisions may ultimately have been correct under the laws of the game, the lack of clarity surrounding the process has understandably created frustration.

Despite everything, Celtic showed tremendous character.

St Mirren had taken the lead through Nikolas Agrafiotis after a VAR-supported handball decision against Liam Scales. Scales then redeemed himself by heading Celtic level in the 51st minute before Yang Hyun-Jun completed the comeback with a composed finish in the 68th minute.

The final score was St Mirren 1–2 Celtic, allowing Celtic to maintain their perfect start and move five points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Yet the biggest talking point remains the officiating.

The Durán decision, followed by the Mheuka controversy and the technical problems surrounding VAR, has placed Scottish football’s video-review system under intense scrutiny.

For Celtic, three points were ultimately secured. But the questions surrounding Camilo Durán’s disallowed goal are unlikely to disappear quickly.

The debate now is simple: **was the VAR evidence strong enough to overturn Celtic’s goal, or did the technology create another controversial decision that could have been avoided?**