Peter Hartley has apologised for his comments about Fabio Cardoso and Rangers but could still face punishment.
The Motherwell captain has made few friends at Ibrox with his remarks on the broken nose suffered by then-Gers defender Cardoso in last season’s Betfred Cup semi-final.
Ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Premiership meeting with Rangers, Hartley said: “I think Bowie [Ryan Bowman] broke a boy’s nose didn’t he, so that was fun to watch, the way he was weeping.”
The fact that Hartley appeared to get such a kick out of an injured opponent has prompted SFA’s interim compliance officer Claire Whyte to examine the controversial comments and decide on the appropriate punishment.
Hartley has since apologised on social media, saying: “I apologise for the comments I made in the media today. What I said falls below the standards expected of the captain of Motherwell Football Club.
“I do not condone violent behaviour or wish to trivialise an injury suffered by a fellow professional. I got caught up in the excitement of preparing for a big game and said something I regret.
“We will be competitive on Sunday but we will always try and play within the rules.”
Bowman escaped a red card for a crunching elbow on Cardoso, who has since joined Portuguese club C.D. Santa Clara, in Motherwell’s 2-0 victory Rangers last October.
