Celtic have hit out at the SPFL after their League Cup semi-final with Hearts was moved to Murrayfield, describing the call not to hold a ballot to decide the venues as "irrational and discriminatory".

The Hoops will now face Craig Levein's Premiership table-toppers at the home of Scottish Rugby after the SPFL ripped up their original plan for the last four matches.

Both Celtic v Hearts and Aberdeen v Rangers were originally scheduled to take place at Hampden on the same day, Sunday October 28.

But the tournament organisers were forced into a rethink after receiving widespread criticism.

The Scottish champions called for a ballot to ascertain which match would be switched to the capital but in the end chiefs opted to decide themselves, with Celtic against Hearts the game picked to move stadium.

Brendan Rodgers slammed the unfair process behind how that was decided in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Parkhead side's Europa League tie in Salzburg.

And the club have now followed up with a strongly worded statement on the matter.

A Celtic statement read: "The SPFL Board's decision not to hold a ballot to decide the venues of the forthcoming semi-final matches is both irrational and discriminatory.

"Celtic recognised there was a genuinely difficult problem to resolve.

"All we asked for was equity of treatment - in other words, a simple ballot of which game went to which venue, so that all clubs would have a 50-50 chance of playing at Hampden.

"We understand that those bodies consulted, including the police and broadcasters, had no preference whatsoever on which match should take place at each venue and, therefore, there was only one appropriate method of reaching a fair outcome.

"The SPFL Board have been unable to produce logic or reason for turning down our modest request.

"Instead, they have arbitrarily decided that a chosen game should stay at Hampden and the other should go to Murrayfield.

"The interests of our club and supporters have been subordinated to a diktat from the SPFL board which is as unfair as it was unnecessary.

"Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell was excused from the SPFL board meeting due to the subject under discussion."