McInnes banned for two matches after SFA appeal

Rangers manager Derek McInnes will be banned from the touchline for two matches after the Scottish Football Association partially upheld an appeal against a four-match suspension. The decision, announced on August 31, 2026, means McInnes will miss the upcoming away fixture against Falkirk on September 3, and the home match against Motherwell on September 6. However, he will be permitted to manage from the technical area for the Premier Sports Cup quarterfinal against Celtic, a highly anticipated Old Firm clash. The original sanction stemmed from comments McInnes made in May while he was still the manager of Hearts. He publicly criticized a penalty decision in a Celtic versus Motherwell match, calling it "disgusting." The SFA charged him with breaching disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits public criticism of match officials that could imply bias or incompetence. McInnes was initially given a four-match suspension with one game suspended in July. Rangers appealed, allowing him to begin the current season on the touchline. The appeal resulted in a revised penalty.