Drogba Swears Live On SkySports

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has asked for UEFA to consider the "injustice" of his team's elimination from the Champions League before it decides whether to punish his players for their behaviour towards the referee after the Barcelona match on Wednesday. "I think you have to take into consideration the emotion of the injustice that was felt," Hiddink said on Friday. Chelsea will learn next week whether they will be punished by UEFA for the player outbursts against referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after their Champions League exit. Didier Drogba has apologised for his attack on the match official at full-time of their semi-final against Barcelona. The Norwegian official was harangued by Chelsea players incensed at his handling of the game at Stamford Bridge that saw them dramatically dumped out of the competition. Ovrebo has received internet death threats and had to be smuggled out of the UK. Posters on website forums and even groups on Facebook threatened reprisals against the 42-year-old. He had waved away at least four Chelsea penalty appeals during the game that saw Barcelona score a late equaliser to make it 1-1 and go through on the away goals rule. At the final whistle he was forced to run down the tunnel back on to the pitch to escape furious Chelsea players including England captain John Terry, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba, who also launched a foul-mouthed rant into nearby TV cameras. Drogba turned to a cameraman after the final whistle and shouted: "It's a disgrace. It's a f***ing disgrace." Police were so concerned for Mr Ovrebo's safety they reportedly changed his hotel then later smuggled him onto a flight back to Norway. In Mr Ovrebo's home city of Oslo police said they were investigating threats made on the internet, which has seen a flood of messages including the referee's home address and warnings that fans will "hunt him" and "kill him". Groups such as Kill Tom Henning Ovrebo and We Wanna Kill Tom Henning Ovrebo began to appear on Facebook. The controversy overshadows a dramatic semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea seemed destined to seal a date in the final against Manchester United for the second year running after Michael Essien's wonder strike put them ahead. But the referee denied Chelsea spot-kicks for a number of perceived offences, including a shirt pull on Drogba and handballs by Gerard Pique and Samuel Eto'o. Sky Sports later apologised for broadcasting Drogba's bad language as he confronted the official at the end of the game. However, the clip was shown again with sound after an advert break. A spokesman said: "At the end of the game, shortly before 10pm, Didier Drogba was heard swearing on the pitch as he faced the steady camera. "An immediate apology was made in the studio for the language and any offence."

LiveLeak | May 8, 2009

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