DISGUST: Drogba given six-match ban
FURIOUS Chelsea are poised to
launch an appeal with UEFA, after Didier Drogba was hit by a
draconian six-match ban for his antics after Chelsea’s Champions
League semi-final defeat by Barcelona.
Although the final two games of the ban are suspended,
Drogba is set to miss most of Chelsea’s group games next season and
will not be available for new coach Carlo Ancelotti until
November.
With Drogba also set to be absent for at least a month
early next year on African Nations Cup duty, it means Ancelotti
could effectively miss one of his main strikers for three months of
the key competitions.
Drogba ran on to the pitch at the end of Chelsea’s
defeat by Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, haranguing Norwegian
referee Tom Henning Ovrebo, swearing into television cameras, then
carrying on the confrontation with the official in the tunnel.
Chelsea, themselves hit by an £85,000 fine for failing
to control their players- with full-back Jose Bosingwa handed a
four-game UEFA ban, one suspended, for
calling Ovrebo a “thief” – were left stunned by the punishments and
look likely to appeal today.
DROGBA: Set to miss most of Chelsea's group games next
season
Chelsea had hoped the punishments, handed out
by Uefa’s Control and Disciplinary body after a hearing in Nyon,
would be tempered by the fact both players apologised immediately
and also admitted
their culpability. But last night it appeared those
actions had carried little weight with Uefa.
A statement by the European governing body said:
“Drogba and Bosingwa were facing charges of being in breach of the
principles of sportsmanship by insulting the referee by making
offensive comments.”
Chelsea were fined not only for failing to control
their players - midfielder Michael Ballack also confronted Ovrebo
on the field but escaped individual punishment - but for the
throwing of missiles by their enraged fans at the final
whistle.
The club and players have three days to appeal, after
receiving written explanations for the verdicts.
A Chelsea spokesman said: ‘We’ve received the UEFA
verdict and we’ll now take time to assess it in full and consider
our response.”
Chelsea were fuming at Ovrebo’s performance in the
second leg of the semi-final, as he turned down four potential
penalties, and Barcelona went through courtesy of Andres Iniesta’s
injury-time goal.
Drogba’s fine and his absence from so many games next
season is not expected to affect his status at the club. He is
expected to sign a new three-year contract after talks in the
coming weeks.
