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Chelsea should be thrown out of Europe next season
The club’s disgraceful behaviour in last week’s semi-final against Barcelona must be punished with Uefa’s ultimate sanction
While Darren Fletcher and Eric Abidal will be aggrieved to have had their red cards upheld by Uefa yesterday, at least it showed some rational thinking going on at European football's ruling body, argues Richard Williams in the Guardian.
"If this season's endless disputes over refereeing decisions have taught football fans one lesson, it is that the officials' job is getting harder and that - with the single exception of goalline cameras - no amount of technology will make an acceptable difference to the business of ensuring the right decisions are made." Indeed to remove the ultimate authority of the officials by overturning their decisions with the benefit of this technology "would invite anarchy".
"Every television camera in London seemed to be in use at the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge last week" and yet there is still reasonable doubt about whether either decision was a genuine red or not.
"Did the way Fletcher's foot tangle with Cesc Fabregas's legs constitute a foul? Did Abidal's leg brush against those of Nicolas Anelka? In each case, the referee had a couple of seconds to assess the evidence and to make his decision. And, significantly, on neither occasion could any amount of television evidence settle the argument," says Williams.
What didn't make either referee's night easier was the players' behaviour. The histrionics of Didier Drogba and his Chelsea teammates should be "sanctioned" by Uefa. "The withdrawal of Chelsea's invitation to next season's Champions League, taking tens of millions of pounds in revenue along with it, would soon persuade them to find a way of curbing their players' excesses, and others would follow their example."
In a conclusion that will make Williams few friends in SW6, he says: "If Chelsea's players and managerial staff are reluctant to abandon the exaggerated sense of grievance instilled and fostered by Jose Mourinho's regime, they will have to be taught a lesson." ·
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The Players are the ones that should be given EARLY showers whenever they bung this disgraceful behaviour on. I think you will find that they would soon stop! I have watched in amazement over the years the antics that the players resort to and i can assure you they would be given short shrift in the N.R.L. , A.F.L. or the A-League. The powers that be in the premier League need to have a good hard look at THEIR lack of Action over the years, as it has brought on all this disgraceful behaviour. Can you picture Sir Bobby Moore carrying on in such a fashion?
Fully agree with Prof's comments. The subtitle needs a small adjustment:
The referees' disgraceful behaviour in last week's semi-final against Barcelona must be punished with Uefa's ultimate sanction
Don't punish the fans or the players who behaved themselves, punish Drogba and Ballack for their threatening actions suspend both of them from the Champions League next year that will send a message to other would be arrogant players who disrepect the officials.
This is, with respect, nonsense and all the wrong perspective.
Tom Cruise in 'A Few Good Men', suspicious of his appointment, comments: Why does a Lieutenant Junior Grade with nine months' experience and a track record for plea bargaining get assigned to a murder case? Would it be so it never sees the inside of a courtroom?
Why pick a referee knowing he is inadequate for the job and let it be known the authorities do not favour an all English final again? In any other walk of life there would be an enquiry.
In few areas of endeavour, most obviously except the armed services, is respect demanded regardless of competence and ability. Where that is conspicuously unmerited, undeserved, then those who made the appointment must, for the good of all, be held accountable.
Referees, far more than football players, bring the game into disrepute time and again. Football lacks use of modern technology, to no one's benefit. Cricket uses it, successfully; also Rugby Union. Neither of them have the financial element or the worldwide public interest of football. It is not within the compass of a reasonable man to see and think correctly all through games. But lack of technological support, inadequate linesmen and referees in top flight games, demand full transparency and exposure.
Tonight's Chelsea match was so disgracefully handled that heads must roll both among the match officials who must explain themselves and give public apology and among those who appointed them and were either too incompetent to foresee the folly of their appointment and the resultant scandal - bad enough, or who were complicit in something far more sinister. Either way the rumours and discredit to the game should not go away until light is shed and punishment is meted out with a justice conspicuously missing from the pitch.
The alternative is for mistrust and injustice to become forever associated with the game, and, very like coruption, to continue to be hugely damaging.