Le Guen's rough ride at Tynecastle

RANGERS manager Paul Le Guen was confronted by rival fans after attending the Hearts v Celtic match at Tynecastle on Sunday, police have said.

The Frenchman was verbally abused by supporters as he left the ground after Hearts' 2-1 win.

Police said they received reports of an incident involving the coach, who joined the Glasgow club in the summer.

It was reported yesterday that the manager was spat at, had his windscreen obscured and was flashed at by a Celtic fan.

He was said to have been spotted by Celtic supporters, who had just seen their team lose 2-1, near a school on McLeod Street which is used as a car park on matchdays.

Le Guen, who was reportedly with his assistant Yves Colleau and other members of his staff, was understood to have then been verbally abused by a group of fans.

It was reported a newspaper was thrust across his windscreen as he tried to drive away after a fan spat at him.

A supporter was reported to have then exposed himself to the former Lyon coach.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police confirmed that officers attended an incident at the stadium's car park after the game, and said Le Guen was subjected to "banter and backchat".

She added no complaint had been received and by the time officers arrived Le Guen had gone.

A spokeswoman for Rangers declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Celtic.

A spokeswoman for Hearts said the club had no precise details of the incident, and as it did not happen inside Tynecastle Stadium there are no plans to investigate.

Meanwhile, Dundee United chairman Eddie Thompson said yesterday that he has received an apology from Rangers after an official of the Ibrox club accused United supporters of singing sectarian songs.

Rangers security chief Laurence McIntyre had been speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Saturday night after the draw at Ibrox.

Thompson said yesterday: "Peace has now broken out. I had a long chat with Martin Bain [Rangers chief executive] last night and he apologised. Our songs are nothing to do with religion."

The Rangers support was under scrutiny on Saturday after Ibrox chairman David Murray urged fans not to sing sectarian songs at matches - or run the risk of UEFA hitting the club with anything from a heavy fine to a ban from European football.

Thompson explained that although United fans might use the same tune as Rangers supporters sing along to, the words are different.

"The gentleman concerned just went a bit too far," said Thompson. "Perhaps it wouldn't have happened if he had had a chance to discuss it first of all.

"If he'd only come and asked me, I'd have explained the words of our songs are nothing to do with religion, nothing to do with sectarianism, so we could have clarified all that.

"We've had quite a lot of complaints from United fans and a lot of support, incredibly, in from other provincial clubs."

• Former Rangers captain Lorenzo Amoruso is set to return to Italy to sign for Serie B side Vicenza.

The 35-year-old was released by Blackburn Rovers at the end of the season following three disastrous years at Ewood Park where he played just 18 times.

Amoruso moved to Rangers for £5 million from Fiorentina in 1997 and stayed at Rangers for six years, before leaving to join Graeme Souness at Blackburn where injuries curtailed his career.

Taken from the Scotsman