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Graham Poll predicts long ban for Chelsea pair
12.05.09
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll expects UEFA to hand out long suspensions to Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack following last week's Champions League exit.
Drogba confronted referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the clash against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, while Ballack was furious with the official for not awarding a penalty.
UEFA are still gathering evidence ahead of any action being taken against the club or their players.
"I think there will probably be fairly hefty match bans, maybe eight to 10 for Drogba and five or six for Ballack," Poll told Setanta Sports' Football Matters.
"They will probably get halved on appeal - that's kind of the way UEFA do things ... they always know there's an appeal coming so they go heavy and then reduce it down.
"I think they'll probably look for Drogba to have six matches because then he misses all the group stage games.
"That seems a good punishment for him but whether he'll be at Chelsea for those games is another matter."
While there has been speculation over Drogba's future, Nicolas Anelka's advisor has been quoted insisting the France striker will stay at Chelsea.
Menawhile, Andriy Shevchenko, who has been out on loan at AC Milan, wants to stay in Italy.
Shevchenko told Datasport. "I don't consider myself to be an ex-Milan player yet. I am feeling good physically and I want to finish my career here."
Reader views (5)
UEFA will prove that the match was fixed by not punishing Overbo. What could UEFA do to him? A punishment to him or inquiry will only signify the obvious. So what only do the have, to punish the players that questions the ref. Come on we all know that there is market principle for cheating in soccer. I am talking about Serie A, I am talking about the whole game. Soccer is global and lots of money are placed on each game so to think the game can not be ringed is pathetic.
If UEFA wants to clear this monkey on their back, they must acknowledge bad officiating from Overbo and set up inquiry about his contacts as well if the cheating was not from their part.
- Stephen, USA
I think a long ban is the only option for these spoilt bratts.Footballers with their large pay packets are becomming as arrogant as are MPs,and think they answer to nobody.Their actions were disgusting to have to witness and the crowd could well of got out of control leading to a riot.We the public,deserve better.
- David, london
All Graham poll's constant anti chelsea rants demonstrate is that as was long suspected he had an agenda with chelsea when he refereed.There were many matches ruined by his failure to be impartial the most blatant being the match at Tottenham where he sent John Terry off. I am afraid he brings the whole profession into disrepute.
- George, london
For a referee who failed to give a red card after issuing a second yellow card to a player in a major international tournament, why does it not surprise me that Mr Poll is supportive of the referee in charge of the Chelsea v Barcelona match?
- Ian, Cranbrook, Kent
I would like to ask Mr Poll what he thinks UEFA will do about the inept referee, will they ban him for a number of games as he wasn't up to the job, probably not because then they are admiting they shouldn't have appointed him in first place. Mr Poll and all referee's should note that the public do not pay good money to see them, its the players and the team we want to see, but a lot of refs want to be the main attraction.
- Adrian Poole, woking england
