Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been given a four-game touchline ban, with one suspended, for calling the decision to award Celtic a late penalty at Motherwell “disgusting”.

The comments, made at the end of last season when McInnes was in charge of Hearts, related to a stoppage-time spot-kick given for handball that was converted by Kelechi Iheanacho.

Celtic’s 2-1 victory at Fir Park kept them one point behind Hearts, who they beat to the title a few days later in a final-day decider.

Speaking to Sky Sports after a win against Falkirk at Tynecastle, McInnes said: “When you heard Celtic got a 96th minute penalty that was going to VAR and they were checking it, you just assume what’s happened is they get the penalty.

“Having seen it again, it’s disgusting. It is.

“I don’t think it’s a penalty kick.

“But we’re up against it. We’re up against everybody.”

McInnes will be in the stands as Rangers open the Scottish Premiership away to Dundee United on 31 July.

The same conditions will apply for the following league game at home to Hibernian and for a League Cup tie on the weekend of 15/16 August.

Following the late drama at Fir Park, referee John Beaton’s contact details were posted online, with police keeping his home under surveillance. A teenager was then charged “in connection with a data protection offence”.

SFA head of referees Willie Collum backed the call, citing “clear evidence” with Sam Nicholson’s hand and arm “in an unnatural position” and the resulting contact “a punishable handball”.

Motherwell and their former midfielder Elliott Watt have already been sanctioned over social media posts on the matter.

Watt, who has since joined Turkish club Samsunspor, received a four-match suspension, having described it as “the worst VAR decision in history”.

Motherwell were fined £5,000 for releasing a video with the caption: “As the world of football mocks our game, we simply have to draw a line in the sand and shift the focus.”

The Scottish FA compliance officer issued complaints to all three parties under disciplinary rule 72 stating that: ‘No recognised football body, club, official, team official or other member of team staff, player or other person under the jurisdiction of the SFA, shall in an interview, a ‘blog’ on the internet, on a social networking or micro-blogging site, or in any other manner calculated or likely to lead to publicity (i) criticise the decision(s) and/or performance(s) of any or all match official(s) in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official; or (ii) make remarks about such match official(s) which impinge on his character.”

The suspended ban for McInnes will be applicable if he is in breach of rule 72 again before the end of the 2026-27 season.

Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare forced the cancellation of a training session after he refused to leave the pitch.

BBC Sport has been told the 25-year-old sat down and demanded the club let him move to Fiorentina.

Wolves have rejected a bid from the Serie A side, having accepted an offer from Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Arokodare’s actions led to new boss Cesar Peixoto terminating the session on Monday.

Arokodare will not be involved in Wednesday’s friendly at Maidenhead United as Wolves continue their pre-season plans.

The latest incident is another flashpoint in the forward’s career at Molineux after he was disciplined in April following a confrontation with young forward Mateus Mane.

Arokodare signed for £24m from Genk last summer but scored just three league goals as Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League and were relegated.

And the incident presents an early challenge for Peixoto just weeks into his reign after he replaced Rob Edwards in a surprise move last month.

The 46-year-old, capped once by Portugal in his playing career, moved from Gil Vicente and will be aiming to return Wolves to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The key point here is whether the transfers can be defined as a ‘swap deal’.

One of the clauses in Uefa’s transfer regulations defining “player exchange transactions” is that such deals must be concluded within 45 days of each other.

Clubs can still transfer players between themselves in that 45-day period, but those deals would have to be perceived as not connected to not be seen as part of a swap.

Indeed Tottenham and Brighton moved centre-backs Jan Paul van Hecke and Luka Vuskovic between them in separate deals earlier this summer, though both clubs are some distance away from the threshold to be under Uefa scrutiny.

Chelsea and Villa, however, are among those that need to trade most effectively in order to comply with Uefa’s squad cost ratio regulations and their 2025 settlement agreements.

In the case of these specific transfers, Rogers’ £117m move will provide Villa with a significant accounting profit – potentially £80m-£90m after Middlesbrough’s sell-on clause, agents’ fees and the remaining book value of his 2024 signing are deducted.

But if Chelsea were to sell Garnacho to Villa as part of the same transaction, Uefa would treat it as a swap deal. Even if Garnacho left on deadline day – September 1 – fewer than 45 days would have passed, making it harder to argue they are not connected.

So here is where loans come in – and bear with us as it gets a little complicated.

In the case of Garnacho, a loan with an obligation to buy could still be regarded as part of a swap deal because the ‘purchase’ has been agreed within 45 days of Rogers’ transfer.

A loan with an option to buy is not a swap deal. However, a conditional obligation to buy based on appearances, goals or triggers such as European qualification could be interpreted either way, depending on how likely it is that Garnacho ultimately completes a permanent move.

In such cases, it is up to regulators and clubs to make their respective arguments over how the arrangement should be classified.

“Uefa are one step ahead of the curve here to prevent such convenient player swaps or what are deemed player swaps, where both clubs end up booking a profit and complying with the Uefa rules,” said football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

“The Premier League rules are much more lax, so that’s why I think it’s important to to determine whether or not this is deemed to be a sale. Because if so, it has implications for Villa’s SCR compliance with Uefa.”