Morning:
8°c
Where do you start with the superlatives after a game like that? With arguably the greatest long-range volley of all time from Michael Essien's left boot? With the cruellest equaliser I can recall? With indisputably the worst referee in history? With the craziest post-match remonstrations witnessed, from the flip flop-clad Didier Drogba? With the most savage footballing irony imaginable, that it was that same left foot with which Essien hashed his clearance and handed Andres Iniesta Barcelona's only chance deep in added time?
But no, we should begin by stating Chelsea themselves were superlative last night. They took on a side fresh from scoring six against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and rendered them toothless, clueless mediocrities. If there has ever been a mightier exhibition of calm, authoritative defensive mastery at the apex of the global club game, I must have missed it.
Their work rate, most notably from the remarkable Frank Lampard but throughout the team, was staggering. They never let up for a moment. Not once when Barca had possession - and they had oodles of that, if nothing else - did the midfielders fail to support their defenders by doubling up on the man with the ball. They reduced Lionel Messi to barely less a spectator than Petr Cech, whose sole contribution was the futile dive that took him nowhere near Iniesta's last-gasp Exocet. Until Essien's howler, they allowed Barca not the sniff of an opening. Their concentration was unwavering, their rearguard dominance absolute. Chelsea were utterly, utterly magnificent.
That this ultimately counted for nothing confirms that this is the most amoral sport known to man. Only in football does the weaker team regularly conquer the stronger, which is of course an integral part of its addictiveness. Yet travesties come no more brutal than this. Perhaps Manchester United's defeat of Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League Final, after being overwhelmed for 80 minutes, was equally unjust. I can't think of another precedent.
Mention of injustice brings us to the Norwegian Tom Henning Ovrebo. The last time a Scandinavian refereed a Champions League tie between the clubs, it led, via the death threats provoked by Jose Mourinho's paranoid accusation of collusion, to Sweden's Anders Frisk retiring. It won't take such poison to do the same for Mr Ovrebo. UEFA will drop him following this fiasco because enquiries after the whereabouts of a ref's dog and white stick for once lack a satirical edge. For all the difference it would have made, he might as well have been blind. Not a little short sighted, not even partially sighted. Simply blind.
Of his dismissal of Eric Abidal, suffice it to say that you could have parked an aircraft carrier in the space between the Barca defender and Nicolas Anelka when the latter lost his footing. As for the penalties unawarded, there are bats flapping about in Devon barns - even the flying mammal known to his chums as Old Blunkers - who'd have instantly pointed to the spot at least twice, possibly thrice. The third of them, the handball by Gerald Pique, caused Chelsea the most pique because had he picked the ball up and dribbled it in the style of Meadowlark Lemon the offence could been no more blatant. The first, the shove on Florent Malouda a foot inside the box, was barely less obvious. The middle one, the tug on Drogba's shirt, was self-evident enough.
There is no condoning the extremity of Chelsea's dissent, both before the final whistle, when Michael Ballack chased the guy for 30 yards screaming in anguish like the face in Munch's painting; and even more so after it, when the real mayhem ensued. But while UEFA will throw the book at them, especially Drogba, it would be insufferably pompous to blame them. I'd have done the same and I think you would, too. I'm not convinced the Buddhist monk who tutored Grasshopper in Kung Fu could have held his temper at seeing all that resplendent work undone by one of the most reviled creatures ever to have emerged from Norway.
You could argue, just about, that Chelsea were marginally complicit in their downfall. Had Drogba taken the simplest of chances to make it 2-0, it would have been over. As for Essien, it is vicious beyond belief that his solitary error should shrink that astonishing goal to the status of sublime irrelevance.
You could weep for him and his team-mates, and for Guus Hiddink. Tactically, even the Dutchman may never have a greater triumph. He made the most feared European attacking power of recent years look like lumbering oxen. There was heroism along with hysteria in defeat for Chelsea last night and that will be as much consolation to them, now and always, as a slap in the chops with a frozen Norwegian cod.
Bloody football, eh, as a certain Sir Alex Ferguson precised it in the aftermath of the only rival injustice that comes to mind. Bloody, sodding, hateful, glorious football.
Reader views (15)
I've criticised you before for an anti-Chelsea bias, so I have to commend you for being generous to the team. In my opinion, Drogba and Ballack WERE both out of order, and the club should apologise unconditionally for their behaviour. It's just the right thing to do. However, there remains a huge smell of mackerel about the whole game.
- Tyrone Shoelaces, London, 08/05/2009 11:49
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I have to concur with most of the comments posted thus far in that this article is unique in giving a balanced and fair view on the events of the match. The "we hate Chelsea" brigade has been vociferous as usual but Matthew, a Spurs fan, has done what very few journalists do today, i.e. give an un biased review of matches whatever their allegiance. And yes, Chelsea were complicit in their own downfall so despite the referee, there was no excuse for not taking the game once Barca were down to ten men. Spot on!, Matthew.
- Paul, Feltham, 08/05/2009 10:21
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Probably one of the truest articles i've read about the fiasco they called Football refereeing on wednesday.
Well written...
- Ryan, Basingstoke, 08/05/2009 00:37
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This is the first article i've read that is not a load of absolute twaddle, well written Mr Norman, it's rare to find an article that actually shows the Chelsea performance for what it was, an absolutely magnificent display of English defending. Plus, i don't blame the Chelsea players for their outbursts, to have a CL Campaign that included fantastic displays such as the 3-1 win at Anfield, the Shut out at the Nou Camp, and then to have it ALL thrown away by one of the most incompetent referees i've ever seen is a massive Disgrace, UEFA really needs to acknowledge it's mistake.
Oh Simon, to be fair, Abidal should of gone in the first half when he hacked down Drobga in the box (one of the BIG penalty call's) i feel the referee gave that red card to try and 'even' everything out, though of course the challenge he actually gave it for was minor.
- Dave, London, 08/05/2009 00:28
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I never thought I would find consolation, sympathy and a good laugh from a Spurs fan regarding the miserable events of last night.
Many thanks!
- Julius Blumfeld, London, 07/05/2009 21:44
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Last night provided compelling evidence as to why video refereeing must be introduced. As fans we are paying a lot of money to watch these games and a win brings enormous income for the clubs ....yet the authorities are still quite happy to put the result in the hands of incompetent referees. A referee cannot see everything just as it is physically impossible for a linesman to watch the moment of impact of boot on ball at the same as watch whether a player is offside.
Rugby has introduced it very successfully and I can see no reason why it could not be introduced into soccer. Let's start with yellow and red cards, balls over the line and penalties.
While we are at it, let's also reform the timekeeping. Added time appears to bear no relationship to actual stoppages, so let's do it like basketball. Play stops, clock stops. Play starts, clock starts. You then play 25 mins each way which, I am told, is what they currently actually play.
Rumour has it that football clubs want this but Blatter wont let it happen. Why I wonder? So they can't influence results??
Last night was a complete travesty of justice due to Mr Ovrebo and UEFA should be probably be taken to court for providing an incompetent referee. And it wasn't one-sided awful refereeing. Abidal should not have been sent off.
Might common sense prevail...I doubt it!
- Simon Henson, Oxford UK, 07/05/2009 18:07
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Speed Racer..... you clearly have no idea about sport, football or indeed tactics. Pretty football is not a prelude to being a winner. If you even bother to look at the statisitcs Barcelon only had one shot on target. Look up the word tactics, it may help you to understand sport a little better.
- David K, England, 07/05/2009 17:53
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I see some readers seem to think that being the "better" or more attacking team entitles the referee to completely negate the rules of the game for blatant handball in your own area. Any referee ignoring Pique's handball in a Sunday Morning League game would have rightly been pronounced unfit to officiate, for this to happen to ANY team in the semi final of Europe's supposed top club competition is a downright disgrace. But hey, let's move on - it's football after all *until it happens to your team*. I'm absolutely amazed that some fan's hatred of other teams makes them so blinkered that they actually applaud a disgraceful excuse of a refereeing performance as our Norwegian friend inflicted on the football world last night. Meanwhile UEFA will probably award him further big matches. You couldn't make it up.
- David Morris, Basingstoke, Hants, 07/05/2009 17:45
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Mr Platini finally got what he wanted last night that much is clear.
Why a referee of such little experience was in charge of a game of this magnitude is beyond me, especially one with a catalogue of previous large scale errors to his name. If we had been totally out played and beaten 2-0, 3-0 i could accept the result, but what i saw un fold in front of my eyes last was sad for all football. Alves on Malouda, well inside the box PENALTY, Abidal on Drogba pulled his shirt and tripped him PENALTY, Pique hand moves to ball PENALTY, Eto hand moves to ball PENALTY! If it had been just one incident you could take it on the chin but 4!
As for the Chelsea players reactions i have to say sadly i think i wouldve have done the same, to many times players are accused of being over paid and that they don't care for their club or the game those players clearly showed just how much it means to them, people sitting in at home playing armchair football have no idea of the adrenaline & emotion that would be pumping through you after a game like that. I am proud to be a Chelsea supporter and i am glad that Hiddink has stuck by the players reactions. All the best to Manchester United, bring it home for the Premiership & England.
- Stuart Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent, England, 07/05/2009 17:01
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Thanks for the pompous, sermonising drivel, Norman. I imagine you salve your Chelsea were the home team and had every reason to take the initiative in dictating the flow of the game. Their deliberate and pragmatic approach will ultimately leave few unsatisfied at their failure to progress to the final, more so after the histrionics at the final whistle.
- Speed Racer, Tokyo, Japan, 07/05/2009 15:05
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Hats off to Matthew Norman for telling it like it was. You don't have to be a Chelsea fan to feel that the referee was totally incompetent and should never have been appointed for a game of this importance. The UEFA referees committee contains some very experienced peeople such as David Elleray and Pierluigi Collina. What were they thinking of when they let Mr Ovrebo take charge of this match?
- David, London, 07/05/2009 14:57
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A Euro ban for the club as a whole should be the minimum punishment for the pathetic behaviour of their arrogant, under achieving so called stars.
- Norbert, Teddington, UK, 07/05/2009 14:50
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Spot on in all regards - most fair article on last nights events that I have read so far! FA Cup Chelsea - end this rollercoaster of a season on a high!
- Melly, Cartagena, 07/05/2009 14:45
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If sitting back and defending AT HOME, and then resorting to the long punt to a big and heavy forward, who time and time again falls over at the slightest puff of wind can be described as an 'utterly, utterly magnificent display' then I'm watching the wrong sport. And correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't a handball have to be intentional for it to be an offence? Neither incidents were.
Drogba, like Ronaldo, is a victim of his deserved reputation as a habitual diver. If he stayed on his feet more often he might get more decisions go his way when he is genuinely fouled. Chelsea got what they deserved for not being more adventurous on their own pitch. It was always possible that 1-0 was not going to be enough, and they paid the price for not getting a second goal.
- Neil Porter, Essex, UK, 07/05/2009 13:46
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Matthew
Thanks for this article. There's scant comfort in last night's result, but you have helped.
- Fresh, LONDON, 07/05/2009 13:27
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