As Engels prepared to take a corner in the 87th minute, he collapsed on the field. It quickly became apparent that he had been hit above his left eye by a projectile. Referee Don Robertson retrieved the coin and passed it to the fourth official after Engels got back up and confirmed he could continue playing. The coin was then given to a police officer for evidence. Rodgers verified that the coin had indeed struck Engels, Celtic's record signing.
When asked about the extent of Engels' injury, Rodgers replied: “Thankfully, he's okay. It could have been much worse if it had hit him an inch lower, right in the eye. It's certainly not good for the game, but he's alright.”
A Rangers spokesperson issued a statement saying: “Rangers FC strongly condemns this incident. The club will fully cooperate with Police Scotland's investigation.”
The Scottish Professional Football League has a reputation for reluctance when it comes to punishing clubs for fan misconduct within stadiums. However, with the rise in pyrotechnic use and general unruly behavior at top-tier matches, the governing body faces mounting pressure to take action. Sectarian chanting was also evident throughout Rangers' decisive victory, despite the absence of Celtic supporters.
Celtic's Canadian full-back, Alistair Johnston, shared his manager's concerns about the incident involving Engels. “I saw him get hit just above the eye,” Johnston said. “It's an unfortunate situation; we're lucky it didn't hit him in the eye."
"I've played in Central America and other places where they throw more than coins at you, so generally you feel pretty safe in Scotland. It's unfortunate – ideally, you don't want anything thrown on the pitch. You can handle the words and the chants, but you hope everyone respects the players on the pitch regardless of their team.
“In an ideal world, this wouldn't happen. If that had hit him in the eye, it would be a very serious matter. I urge everyone to be sensible. These are human beings out there – that's someone's son. You should refrain from throwing things at people's heads.”
