Sorry to start the season on a moan but how is Chelsea still in the Champion’s League?
I’m sure few will need reminding of their behaviour towards the referee when they lost their semi-final match against Barcelona at the end of last season. In a year when the FA tried so hard to make their
Respect programme work, the season ended with an exhibition of the behaviour they are trying to eliminate.
A key factor of the programme is that referees enlist the help of the team captain to restrain the worst behaviour by their own players. One example is harassment, running toward the referee in an aggressive manner, surrounding the referee to protest against a decision. Far from attempting to restrain his players, the Chelsea captain, John Terry, actually led the harassment.
True, UEFA did inflict some punishment on Chelsea and two of its players. Didier Drogba, who ran onto the field of play at the end of the game and harangued the Norwegian referee, before swearing into the television camera and then carrying on the confrontation with the official in the tunnel, has been banned for six Champions
League games and Jose Bosingwa for four games for hurling abuse at the referee. Michael Ballack who manhandled the referee escaped without punishment, whilst Chelsea was fined the pitiful amount of £85,000 for failing to control their players. About half what it pays Terry in a week.
These punishments do not hurt the club enough to make it determined to prevent it re-happening in the future. Not only did Chelsea not control their players, afterwards they sought to protect them, to defend them. There was no remorse. Their behaviour, Chelsea management said, was
"understandable". For understandable read acceptable.
Chelsea of course, has previous. Jose Mourinho lied about the referee colluding with opponents at another Champion’s League game which they lost. Lunatic Chelsea fans sent death threats to the referee, as indeed they have done this time.
In an attempt to justify the
players' behaviour, it is claimed that the referee made glaring errors. I didn’t see the game, only the sickening aftermath on the news, but it doesn’t make any difference whether he did or not.
I had my own taste of abuse last season after a cup-tie, not by players but a spectator but the situation is the same. From a corner kick an attacking player kicked the cross towards goal. Standing on the goal line I could see that it had not crossed the line and when the players raised their hands in anticipation I shook my head and they got on with the game. This was not good enough for the spectator who from his vantage point on the halfway line saw everything and at full time, his team having lost by the odd goal, he accosted me with violent abuse.
Well he was wrong because your decision was correct might be the thought, but referees always think their unbiased, neutral, decisions are right otherwise they wouldn’t make them. If we allow
players to harass the referee when they think he has made a mistake,
then football will dissolve into anarchy.
Another thing to bear in mind is that English football is watched throughout the world. One of my pre-seasons games involved an American touring team. One of their travelling supporters from Kansas, in the middle of the United States, told me how he loves to watch Premiership matches on television. I also came across an article on the internet by Ted Kearney, Senior Referees' Director of Coaching in Brisbane, Australia. Like many of his countrymen, he watched the Chelsea/Barcelona match and was disgusted at the Chelsea player’s behaviour. His fear was that players in Australia will believe it was understandable and acceptable. A concern shared by all referees, when the penalty is not enough to deter it happening again.
Dick Sawdon Smith
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© R Sawdon Smith 2009