Hoops’ manager Martin O’Neill is set to appeal against the dismissal of the Scotland international with the help of a Strathclyde Police investigation.

But Motta has also added his defence of Douglas, claiming defender Balde should have been red-carded instead.

He said: “At the end of the first half, we were going into the tunnel when the defender Balde arrived and had a go at one of my team-mates.

“Another team-mate came to break it up so Balde had a go at him too. The police got involved in the middle of it as it was spilling along towards the dressing rooms but, at that point, Celtic’s ‘keeper arrived.

“He was having a go at my team-mates so all I did was try to restrain him.

“At that point, it went off a bit and the police got hold of me to restrain me. I protested because it was all wrong that they were holding on to me and letting the ‘keeper off scot-free when all I had done was try to prevent him making things worse.

“When he came charging in, it looked like he was about to hit someone and that’s why I intervened.

“So what I think is that the only one to blame for the tunnel incident is Balde. He completely lost it and that started the whole thing off.”