Monday, April 13, 2009

Chelsea defend referee 'warning'

Share


Chelsea insist they were in their rights to talk to the referee about players in danger of suspension ahead of their European game with Liverpool.

Claus Bo Larsen has claimed a Chelsea official told him he would "not be so excited" if any previously-booked players were cautioned last Wednesday.

"It was appropriate to raise the issue of both teams fielding players on yellow cards," said a Blues spokesman.

"Chelsea did not raise the issue solely in relation to Chelsea players." John Terry, who along with Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka was one of the Chelsea players with a yellow card from a previous match, was booked for a challenge on goalkeeper Jose Pepe Reina and will miss the second leg.

Terry and team-mate Frank Lampard have since complained that the reaction of Liverpool players and the Anfield atmosphere contributed to Larsen's decision to caution him during Chelsea's 3-1 victory.

Liverpool defenders Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena, who were also a yellow card away from a one-match suspension, stayed out of the book.

Larsen claimed Chelsea secretary David Barnard made his observation at a routine organisational meeting also attended by his Liverpool counterpart Ian Sylvester and representatives from Merseyside police and Uefa.

"A representative from Chelsea said, 'Claus Bo, you should just remember that we have some players who have a yellow card already and we are not so excited if they get one again'," said Larsen.

"I have been to more than 100 safety meetings and this is the first time I experienced such a thing.

"I responded by saying that if a player does something for a yellow card, he gets a yellow card."If the incident is included in Larsen's match report or mentioned by Uefa match delegates, European football's governing body may decide to launch an investigation.

Chelsea have clashed with Uefa before over the officiating of their Champions League ties, most noticeably when former manager Jose Mourinho accused his Barcelona counterpart Frank Rijkaard of talking with referee Anders Frisk during half-time in their 2-1 defeat at the Nou Camp in 2005.

0 Comments:

World Of Currencies | Formula One RAcing