Derek McInnes describes a fiery Celtic touchline spat with Mark Fotheringham.

Derek McInnes has given his explanation for the heated touchline confrontation with Celtic coach Mark Fotheringham during Sunday afternoon’s Glasgow derby at Parkhead.

The Rangers manager and Fotheringham became involved in a tense exchange during the opening stages of the match after a challenge involving Rangers defender Manny Fernandez and Celtic forward Camilo Duran.

The incident happened shortly after kick-off, with Duran attempting to break forward towards the Rangers goal before being pulled back by Fernandez.

Tempers flare between Rangers manager Derek McInnes (centre right) and Celtic manager Martin O’Neill on the touchline during the William Hill Premiership match at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Picture date: Sunday September 20, 2026.

The challenge immediately created a debate, with some Celtic supporters believing the Rangers defender was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card.

Referee John Beaton ultimately decided that a booking was sufficient punishment, meaning Fernandez remained on the pitch.

The decision appeared to frustrate McInnes, who reacted strongly from the Rangers technical area.

As the players prepared for the resulting free-kick, tensions on the sidelines quickly escalated.

Sky Sports cameras captured McInnes and Fotheringham coming face-to-face, with the two coaching staff members appearing to exchange words before officials intervened to keep them apart.

The confrontation resulted in both men being shown yellow cards.

Fotheringham was clearly unhappy with the Rangers manager’s reaction, although he accepted the caution and the match continued.

The incident became one of the early talking points of an already intense Old Firm fixture, with emotions running high inside Parkhead.

McInnes was later asked about the confrontation after Rangers secured a valuable 1-0 victory over Celtic.

The Rangers boss offered a relatively brief explanation, insisting that he was simply defending his players after becoming frustrated with the balance of decisions during the match.

Speaking to the media, McInnes said: “It was 3-1 against me [fouls], and there was only two bookings.”

He added: “I was just sticking up for my team.”

McInnes did not provide a lengthy explanation of exactly what was said between himself and Fotheringham, but his comments suggested that his reaction was linked to what he felt was an imbalance in the refereeing decisions.

(left to right) Celtic’s Colby Donovan, Auston Trusty, Callum McGregor and Mika Baur leave the pitch dejected after the William Hill Premiership match at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Picture date: Sunday September 20, 2026.

The Rangers boss appeared to believe that his players were being penalised too frequently, and he was unhappy with how the early stages of the contest were being officiated.

His explanation, however, does little to settle the wider tension between McInnes and Fotheringham.

The pair have a history of disagreements on the touchline, meaning Sunday’s confrontation was not an isolated incident.

Their previous encounter came last season when McInnes was in charge of Hearts.

On that occasion, Celtic scored during their meeting at Tynecastle, and McInnes subsequently approached the Celtic dugout.

The then-Hearts manager was unhappy with Fotheringham’s reaction to Celtic’s goal and appeared to believe that the coach had celebrated in a manner that crossed the line.

The situation became even more heated after the final whistle, with McInnes making a gesture towards Fotheringham as tensions continued to simmer.

It was another example of the strained relationship between the two members of the rival coaching staffs.

McInnes later explained his frustration when discussing the incident and made it clear that he was not targeting Celtic manager Martin O’Neill or assistant Shaun Maloney.

Instead, his criticism was directed specifically at Fotheringham.

“One of their inexperienced coaches, I didn’t like his reaction to scoring the goal,” McInnes said in January.

“Nothing to do with Shaun or Martin, just a poor reaction.”

Those comments demonstrated that McInnes had already formed a negative view of Fotheringham’s touchline behaviour before their latest confrontation at Parkhead.

Fotheringham, meanwhile, has remained part of O’Neill’s coaching setup and has continued to play an important role behind the scenes at Celtic.

O’Neill also previously defended his coach following the incident at Tynecastle.

After the earlier confrontation, the Celtic manager rejected any suggestion that Fotheringham lacked the experience required for his position.

O’Neill pointed towards Fotheringham’s coaching background in Germany and England as evidence that his staff member was not simply an inexperienced figure on the Celtic bench.

That previous disagreement adds further context to Sunday’s clash.

With McInnes now managing Rangers, the rivalry between the two coaching groups has taken on another dimension.

The latest incident also occurred during a match that Rangers ultimately won, making the confrontation even more significant for supporters.

McInnes will likely be pleased that his players were able to remain focused despite the early drama and eventually secure a narrow victory.

Ryan Naderi’s goal proved decisive as Rangers recorded another important Old Firm triumph.

The result means McInnes has now enjoyed another successful afternoon against Celtic, while O’Neill’s team were left to reflect on another frustrating defeat.

For Fotheringham, the yellow card was an unwanted addition to an afternoon that already contained plenty of tension.

The incident also demonstrated how quickly emotions can rise during an Old Firm fixture, particularly when controversial decisions are involved.

McInnes’ explanation suggests that his confrontation with Fotheringham was primarily driven by his frustration over the foul count and the number of bookings handed out.

However, given the history between the pair, supporters are likely to view the latest incident through the lens of their previous disagreement.

The Rangers manager insists he was simply defending his team, but the sight of the two men being separated by officials once again provided another fiery moment in one of Scottish football’s most intense rivalries.

With both McInnes and Fotheringham now having been booked for their involvement, the incident will undoubtedly become another talking point from a derby that already produced plenty of controversy.

For Rangers, however, the most important outcome was the final score.

McInnes’ side left Parkhead with a 1-0 victory, giving the Rangers boss another result to celebrate against Celtic while adding another chapter to his increasingly heated relationship with Fotheringham.