THE SCANDAL OF STAMFORD BRIDGE

 

Image Credit- IMDB.

The second leg of the 2009 UEFA Champions League semifinal between Chelsea and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge is known as the "Scandal of Stamford Bridge." Chelsea was hoping to continue forward on May 6, 2009, having taken an early 1-0 lead thanks to a strike from Michael Essien. But Barcelona's Andrés Iniesta struck deep into injury time, leveling the score at one and sending the team ahead on away goals. The game is notorious for the Chelsea penalty appeals that referee Tom Henning Ovrebo turned down, a decision that incensed Chelsea players and supporters. Up to four potential penalty kicks were denied to Chelsea due to apparent infractions and handballs. Due to the numerous officiating errors, this match is still regarded as one of the most unfair and manipulated Champions League encounters, which has drawn heavy condemnation and led to an investigation into refereeing standards in UEFA competitions.

Didier Drogba became agitated and yelled at the camera, frustrated in his attempts to approach the referee: "Are you seeing this? It's abhorrent! It's abhorrent! It's a complete shame!" Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink made a hesitant attempt to step in. The Dutchman could sympathize with his forward's rage.Concerns over the safety of the Norwegian referee led to police escorting him out of England later on. Chelsea reportedly distanced themselves from him after he allegedly received many death threats. 

In 2012, Øvrebø asserted that he continued to get abuses from Chelsea supporters. He acknowledged to Marca in 2018 that he had committed "a series of mistakes" and that he was "not proud" of the performance, which the publication had described as "infamous." He wished that people would not remember his career "just for that game," asserting that "those mistakes can be committed by [any] referee."