Tuesday 2 December 2014 16:27, UK
Ronny Deila has backed Celtic striker John Guidetti after his penalty controversy against Hearts.
Guidetti won and scored a spot-kick in Sunday's 4-0 Scottish Cup win at Tynecastle but replays showed that the on-loan Manchester City forward went down in the box under no contact from defender Brad McKay.
It is understood the Scottish Football Association's compliance officer, Tony McGlennan, will not take retrospective action and, speaking ahead of Wednesday's Scottish Premiership game against Partick Thistle, Deila defended his player's integrity.
"Maybe it was not a penalty but it is a long way from there to diving," Deila said.
"It looked like he slipped a bit so it is nothing, it is a decision the referee has made. Of course I understand the discussion but he didn't do anything wrong."
Maybe it was not a penalty but it is a long way from there to diving.
Asked if Guidetti should have told referee Willie Collum there had been no contact, the Norwegian added: "No, as a player you don't know everything that is happening.
"When you play you play to win and you are so focused on winning.
"We don't want cheats, that's an important thing, but I don't think he was wanting a penalty. Things happen in the game and over a long season it will even out, that's how it is going to be.
"This situation isn't the reason why we won this game, we had a lot of chances and we deserved to win."
Deila mounted a staunch defence, too, of Aleksandar Tonev, whose appeal against his seven-game ban for racially abusing Aberdeen defender Shay Logan will be heard on Thursday.
The on-loan Aston Villa winger was found guilty by a Scottish FA judicial panel - on the balance of probability - of "excessive misconduct by the use of offensive, insulting and abusive language of a racist nature" during a Premiership clash between the two teams in September.
"We have to do everything in our power to get this away from Aleksandar," Deila said of Tonev.
"We don't believe Aleksandar is a racist. We believe him.
"This is a real serious accusation, very serious, and you have to absolutely know that you are right so I hope he doesn't get judged on word against word."
