Lennon banned for two games

Neil Lennon will miss Celtic's third-round UEFA Cup tie against FK Teplice after being banned for two matches for insulting the…

Neil Lennon will miss Celtic's third-round UEFA Cup tie against FK Teplice after being banned for two matches for insulting the referee during the Champions League defeat in Lyon last week.

Lennon confronted the Swiss official Urs Meier after the award of a late penalty to the French club, which Juninho converted to relegate Celtic into the UEFA Cup. The former Northern Ireland midfielder continued his tirade after the final whistle and his behaviour was mentioned in the referee's report.

Lennon was furious that Meier awarded a penalty after the ball struck the Celtic defender Bobo Balde on the arm. He said publicly after the match: "The referee was desperate to give them something. I thought the referee didn't really play fair by us at all. To say we are devastated is an understatement."

Meanwhile, the Rangers chairman John McClelland says the signing of Jean-Alain Boumsong will be a building block for a new-look Ibrox side rather than a short-term investment.

READ MORE

The Frenchman will arrive in Glasgow next summer on a free transfer from Auxerre to begin a five-year contract with Rangers as manager Alex McLeish begins rebuilding his squad.

The club could cash in if the 24-year-old France international fulfils his potential but McClelland insists the defender has a long-term future at Ibrox.

He said: "It's been said that we have bought Boumsong to sell him on at a profit but that is not the intention, our intention is to build a team. He can do well not only in Scotland but also in Europe so he is the kind of player who will be a foundation stone for the team."

Dunfermline have finally parted company with defender Youssef Rossi.

The 30-year-old Morocco international is back in his homeland after signing for his former club Raja Casablanca, who eventually paid a transfer fee following a three-week delay.