Deila vows to fight all the way for Tonev

Hampden Park is gearing up for a monster Old Firm clash on February 1, following the release of the League Cup semi-final dates.

Still out of commission following its Commonwealth Games duties, the national stadium returns with the first Celtic and Rangers meeting in what will be nearly three years.

This Thursday, though, it will be off-field events at the old Glasgow ground that will be of huge interest to all followers of the Hoops.

For it is in the SFA offices that Aleksandar Tonev’s appeal against his seven match racism ban will be heard.

The Bulgarian received his suspension back in October after being found guilty of racially abusing Aberdeen’s Shay Logan during a match at Celtic Park a month earlier.

Logan had followed protocol to the letter, making reports of the alleged abuse to his captain, Mark Reynolds, manager Derek McInnes and the match referee, Bobby Madden.

But Tonev, on loan from Aston Villa, has vigorously protested his innocence throughout and continues to do so.

Crucially, he has the support of Celtic behind him and, in particular, of his manager, Ronny Deila.

The Norwegian believes his player has been mistreated because there is only the word of Logan against him and is ready to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, should the appeal fail.

“If there is nothing new we will take it all the way because it is not fair when it is (one person’s) word v (another person’s) word,” he said.

“I am not a lawyer and I would speak to the club about where we take it next.

“But we have to do everything we can for Alex, who insists he did not do this.

“I’m worried that his career will be tainted. That he’ll be forever known as a racist footballer.

“But it’s not even about the footballer, it’s about the person. I wouldn’t like that on me if it wasn’t true.

“It could ruin a human being’s life and I don’t like it.

“If there is proof, if it’s clearly proved he is guilty, I would never excuse it.

“We really don’t like racism and if our player did a thing like that it would be unacceptable.

“But it’s word v word and I still believe my player.”

“If new evidence comes up, we’ll have another review of it. But if it’s just like it is now, we’ll support Alex.

“We were part of the case we were in there so we know what happened. They believed him (Shay Logan) instead of Alex and, for me, that’s not fair.

“You need to prove the case, you can’t just judge people without proving it. It can’t just be your mind thinking it.”