Drogba banned

[Gazza_8 233]

For 5 games from the CL and fined �£30k for his FT outburst against Barcelona.

 

Didier Drogba gets five-game Champions League ban and �£30,000 fine

 

Didier Drogba has been suspended for five European games and fined �£30,000 for his behaviour at the end of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona. Two of the games are suspended.

 

Drogba reacted angrily at the end of the match at Stamford Bridge, which ended in a 1-1 draw, eliminating Chelsea on the away goals rule. The Ivory Coast forward, furious at a number of decisions by Tom Henning Ovrebo of Norway, the referee, thrust his face towards a television camera and launched an expletive-laden tirade.

 

Although Drogba later issued an apology, Uefa were always going to take a dim view of the forward's behaviour.

 

Jose Bosingwa breached sportsmanship by making offensive comments about Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo and will also be questioned.

 

UEFA's disciplinary panel will hear the cases June 17. It can ban players from Champions League matches and make Chelsea play behind closed doors.

[Norris Cole 0]

...while the referee is allowed to carry on with his job...

[Jon 0]

Ridiculous decision.

 

The ref was uteer pish that night.....

[craig 5,199]

Regardless though guys, Drogba's antics should never have happened. Sure, the referee perhaps contributed (I STILL dispute that ANY of those penalties were clear cut though....) but he should have been far more dignified - the reality is that his antics would never have changed the outcome.

 

I know it is the EPL that has this mantra and not the CL.... but what happened to the "Respect" campaign ?

[Jon 0]

It was wrong yes, I agree with that. But the thing to remember is that although a famous footballer he is still human and will react to disappointment or the feeling of being cheated in the same way as many would do.

 

I watched the game and was raging.

 

Still wrong and no excuse but makes it a little more understandable IMO.

[Norris Cole 0]

No problem with Drogba's decision, he acted like a clown. My gripe is that while both Drogba and the referee let themselves down that night, only one is being punished for it.

[craig 5,199]

It was wrong yes, I agree with that. But the thing to remember is that although a famous footballer he is still human and will react to disappointment or the feeling of being cheated in the same way as many would do.

 

I watched the game and was raging.

 

Still wrong and no excuse but makes it a little more understandable IMO.

 

Some would question whether he is human or not :devil:.

 

I agree, he is human and these things do happen. BUT.... when the rules are laid out before you then you accept the punishment meted out, no ?

 

This may be a poor example but... here goes... You and I have chatted about this before too Jon - if someone ever did anything to your kids what would you do ?

 

You would take it upon yourself to mete out your own form of punishment to them, right ?

 

What that person did, was it right ? No (ala the ref's decisions IF you think he got them wrong).

 

You would react in a way where people would say "he is only human" and that would be to kick the shit out of that person (or worse) (ala Drogba's "he is only human" reaction)

 

Would people find your actions "more understandable" ? Yes.

 

Should you have to face the punishment ? Sadly, yes.

[craig 5,199]

No problem with Drogba's decision, he acted like a clown. My gripe is that while both Drogba and the referee let themselves down that night, only one is being punished for it.

 

 

I know there were many controversial incidents that night and I counted FIVE potential penalty incidents.

 

However, I still feel that NOT ONE of them was clear-cut. Obviously there is divide on that even in this forum (I think that Gav and S_A both agreed that cases could be made that NONE of them were penalties whilst Jon and yourself, and probably others, feel there was at least one if not more).

 

When you don't have concensus that indicates, to me at least, that the ref may actually have not got it wrong - it is open to interpretation, the ref has a split second to make a decision and some of us still think he could have been right with ALL of them even after watching replays.

[Super_Ally 0]

Yeh Craig, I was less than convinced by all of the claims and feel the outrage comes from the number of claims rather than the individual merit of any single claim.

 

Should a penalty be given because you might have had a couple of other decisions earlier in the game?

 

I would say no.

[John Barr 0]

I've got a bit of a problem with that punishment, i just think it is total injustice.

 

We ALL know Drogba was over the score in what he done, but i ask you if anyone watched that game and saw how poor that ref was, i think anyone would have been tempted to be dragged down so low.

 

While i don't think Droba was right i can totally sympathise with his dilema. The ref had basically robbed the team of at least 3 stonewall penalties and various other absolutely rediculous decsions.

 

The way i'm looking at it is if Rangers were playing in that game, put so much effort to get into the semi final of the biggest club competiton in the world, and you are 1 minute from getting to the final and the referee denys a third penalty, your mind would just blow.

 

I can understand it, and i know it is wrong, and he is a pro, but that old clichy does come into it, he is only human and noone is perfect. Especially when your resolve has been tested by a seemingly bias, amateur ref for 90 mins.