The controversial sending-off of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba saw Barcelona come back from 1-0 down to beat the English Premiership leaders 2-1 in their Champions League first knockout round first-leg clash on Wednesday.
Chelsea’s defeat was somewhat softened by the fact they have an away goal, whereas Manchester United lost 1-0 to AC Milan at Old Trafford — with Hernan Crespo on loan from Chelsea scoring the goal after a dreadful error by United goalkeeper Roy Carroll.
However, the atmosphere for the second leg of the Chelsea-Barca tie in London looks sure to be high-octane stuff after the English club issued a puzzling statement after the match.
”We [Chelsea] are making a complaint about an incident which happened at half-time. There will be no comment until the report has gone in to Uefa. Nobody from the Chelsea management will be coming out to speak to the media.”
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was seen running down the tunnel at half-time after referee Anders Frisk, shouting at the Swede: ”You are not allowed to do that.”
It was thought to be referring to Barca coach Frank Rijkaard saying hello to him at half-time and alleging that the referee was in the Barca dressing room.
Mourinho was in hot water earlier this year when he berated referee Neale Barry for talking to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at half-time of their League Cup semifinal at Stamford Bridge.
Rijkaard was surprised at the Chelsea allegation.
”I was there — nothing happened. I am curious what will be the declarations of Chelsea. This is not good behaviour,” the Dutchman said.
”They are inventing something that didn’t happen. It’s the job of the coach to come out and speak to the media.”
Mourinho’s former team, reigning champions FC Porto, were held 1-1 at home by Milan’s city rivals Inter, while French champions Lyon were the night’s most impressive victors with a 3-0 win at German champions Werder Bremen.
Chelsea took the lead against the run of play when Frank Lampard’s long ball found Damien Duff and the pass across goal from the Irish winger — who was only passed fit on Wednesday after originally being left out of the team by Mourinho — was turned into his own net by Juliano Belletti.
Drogba should have put the visitors 2-0 up a few minutes later when he broke the offside trap but he snatched at his shot and it went wide.
Drogba, though, was to leave the scene early in the second half when he was judged to have been too robust in challenging for the ball with goalkeeper Victor Valdes, and was sent off for a second bookable offence, though the Ivorian appeared to have lowered his foot by the time he collided with the guardian.
”Did I touch him? Did I touch him? No, I never!” fumed Drogba as he stormed down the tunnel.
Frisk has often been at the centre of controversy.
He awarded Ireland a penalty in the last minute of their 2002 World Cup second-round match — the second of the night for the Irish — with Spain and was then hit on the head by a missile by an AS Roma fan in the Italian side’s Champions League group match with Dynamo Kiev earlier this season.
Chelsea could not prevent Barca from scoring twice in six minutes as first substitute Maxi Lopez and then African footballer of the year Samuel Eto’o — with his 21st of the season — turned the game round.
Other matches
FC Porto managed to pull off a draw after going behind early on to Inter Milan, with Nigerian Obaefemi Martins grabbing the Italians’ goal.
However, one of Mourinho’s former players, Costinha, created Porto’s leveller as his header across goal was put into the net by Ricardo Costa.
Porto coach Jose Couceiro bemoaned the fact that his team had been too cavalier and not calm enough: ”We could have won towards the end of the match if we had played more with our heads than our hearts.”
Chelsea could have done with the striking skills of Crespo as the Argentinian, sent on-loan by the Blues to AC Milan last summer, scored to give the Italian giants an invaluable 1-0 victory over Manchester United.
Carroll was at fault as he dropped a softly hit shot from Clarence Seedorf and Crespo was on hand to knock it into the net.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said it wasn’t just down to Carroll.
”We should have closed them down earlier in the move,” said the Scot.
”We lacked composure in front of goal and snatched at our chances. We got hemmed in round their area and couldn’t get the ball into the net and then started making mistakes by giving the ball away.”
However, Ferguson said the 1999 Champions League winners could still turn the tie around.
”We always attack so goals can come, but we must make sure we don’t make mistakes,” he said.
French champions Lyon made short shrift of their German counterparts Werder Bremen with former Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord, Mahamadou Diarra and an excellent free kick by Juninho virtually ensuring that their second-leg match back in France should be a mere formality.
”We were very brave tonight and I am delighted with this result,” enthused Lyon manager Paul le Guen. ”Our superior Champions League experience was of real benefit in this match.”
Understandably, his German counterpart, Thomas Schaaf, was fuming.
”Conceding three goals is unacceptable,” said Schaaf. ”But the defence was not our only problem. We were also indecisive in attack and lacked the killer touch in front of goal.” — Sapa-AFP