Chelsea ref smuggled out of the UK

[izzix]

Chelsea referee smuggled out of Britain under police guard after death threats in wake of Champions League fiasco

By Christian Gysin
Last updated at 5:12 PM on 07th May 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... iasco.html


A football referee was smuggled out of Britain yesterday after he received death threats from supporters angry at their team's exit from the Champions League.

Norwegian Tom Henning Ovrebo, 42, found himself vilified on Internet forums and accused of 'cheating' the Chelsea after he denied them a penatly during their match against Barcelona.

There were even claims that he was part of a 'conspiracy' to prevent two English teams contesting the final of the prestigious club tournament.
Enlarge Didier Drogba, confronts referee after Chelsea lose Champions League semi final to Barcelona

Confrontation: Referee Tom Ovrebo has been smuggled out of the country after receiving death threats from angry Chelsea fans

At the end of Wednesday night's match in West London - which ended in a 1-1 draw as Barcelona went through on away goals - there were chaotic scenes as Chelsea players and staff heaped abuse on the referee.

Striker Didier Drogba shouted at one TV camera that the performance of the official had been a '' f***ing disgrace'' while defender Jose Boswinga accused the referee of having taken a bribe and accused him of being a 'thief.'

Midfielder Michael Ballack and Chelsea and England captain John Terry were both involved in heated arguments with Ovrebo who was finally escorted from the pitch.

It emerged yesterday that police became so worried about his safety that they changed the hotel he was staying in overnight before smuggling him out of the country.

Yesterday the referee slept for much of his two and a half hour flight home to Scandinavia and was then spirited away from Oslo's Gardermoen airport by Norwegian football officials.
Tom Ovrebo, referee in Chelsea vs Barcelona Champions League semi final who received death threats

Death threats: The referee is pursued by a furious Michael Ballack after the last penalty appeal was rejected

Norway's football federation defended the referee, but ordered him not to speak to the media.

Rune Pedersen, the federation's refereeing boss, said: 'We recommended that he lay low for a while.'

'There were episodes that might be questioned, but all in all I think the leadership of the game was good,' Pedersen added. 'We respect that Chelsea would question some of the decisions.'

Asked about the death threats, Pedersen said 'we have a good system for dealing with it' but didn't go into details.

Police in his home city of Oslo told how they were investigating threats against him made on the internet - with one person even putting the referee's home address on one web forum.
Enlarge Didier Drogba, foul-mouthed outburst after Chelsea defeat in Champions League semi final against barcelona

Outburst: Chelsea striker Didier Drogba unleashes a foul-mouthed rant live on camera

UEFA general secretary David Taylor dismissed suggestions of a conspiracy to stop the dominance of English clubs and avoid a second successive all-Premier League Champions League final.

Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in last year's final in Moscow.

'If anything it's a media conspiracy against Uefa,' said Taylor, a former chief executive of the Scottish Football Association. 'It does make me angry. It really annoys me because it's a load of rubbish.'

On some message boards furious Chelsea fans talked of 'killing' the referee with one fan posting the message: ' I hope someone shoots him dead!'

Another supporter wrote : ' I could quite happily do time for getting rid of that referee.'

Another fan - using the name Curtis Brand on the CFCnet forum - added: ' I am seriously considering flying to Norway and killing the ref.'
Enlarge Michael Ballack confronts referee Tom Ovrebo during Champions League semi final between Chelse and Barcelona

Death threats: Police in Mr Ovrebo's home town of Oslo are investigating after threats to 'kill' him were posted online by fans

Last night an Oslo police spokesman said: ' We are watching closely what is being posted on the internet.

' Anything we believe would threaten his personal safety will be taken seriously.'

Oslo born Ovrebo - who works as a psychologist away from the game - is no stranger to controversy.

With his 38-year-old wife Bente the couple have an eight-year-old son Sebastian and the couple live in a South eastern suburb of Oslo which boasts around 40,000 inhabitants.

He is paid £5,000 a game to referee Champions League matches and has officiated 22 games since 2001 while he has been named Norway's Referee of the Year five times in the past eight years.

Yesterday he sent a text message to one of Norway's popular papers saying UEFA had forbidden him and his assistant referees from making any comment.

Yesterday one poll in Norway reported that 54 per cent of his countrymen thought he did a 'bad job' when refereeing the match at Stamford Bridge.
Enlarge Didier Drogba, comforted after Chelsea lose Champions League semi final against Barcelona

The Chelsea star is comforted by an unknown female after the semi-final defeat

In one recent interview he spoke of the pressure of refereeing and said he would consider quitting the game if he was threatened, adding:

' A football game is cheap therapy for the audience. They can scream and be angry. It is group therapy in big volume.

' But the line is drawn when your life is threatened.

' And if it expands to hit my family and friends - or if my child is bullied at school because his Dad is a football referee - then I will consider whether it is worth continuing.'

Former Premiership and international referee Graham Poll blamed the Chelsea players for stoking the anger of fans, adding: ' When you see players acting like that, fans are called fans because they are fanatics - they may feel it's time to take action themselves.'
Frank Lampard leaves Carpaccios after Chelsea Champions League defeat

Dejected: Frank Lampard leaves Carpaccio's in London, where he partied without his Chelsea teammates after their semi-final defeat

He then told how Ovrebo was smuggled out of the country under police escort, continuing :

' This is a referee of a football match. That is a disgrace.

' When he booked in a hotel they ( the police) had to change the hotel he was staying at because of the fear that maybe fans would find him.'

Yesterday there were calls for the FA to take action against Chelsea striker Drogba after his foul mouthed outburst.

John Beyer, head of Mediawatch-UK, said: ' The FA have to step in and make players accountable for their appalling behaviour.

' It's absolutely unacceptable and these people are professional sports people and should know better.

' Swearing live on TV is really out of step with public opinion and footballers and all professional sports people should know this by now.'

However Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said he would support Drogba if the player was investigated by UEFA over his behaviour, adding:

' I can understand his emotion and his behaviour after the game. I will protect that.'

In 2006, Chelsea fans sent death threats to Norwegian referee Terje Hauge on the club's Internet chat site after a 2-1 home loss to Barcelona.

Swedish referee Anders Frisk, who officiated a match between the teams a year earlier, retired after similar threats.

Ovrebo has made controversial decisions before. In last year's European Championship, he denied Italy the lead in a 1-1 draw with Romania, when Italian striker Luca Toni appeared to be wrongly deemed offside.

In 2001, Ovrebo received a one-match suspension in the Norwegian league for not red-carding Molde player Odd Inge Olsen for a nasty tackle that broke the leg of an opponent.

Last year FIFA listed him among 38 prospective referees for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Before Wednesday's semifinal, Ovrebo said he was surprised that the Norwegian officiating team was picked for such a big match.

'But I feel confident that we will handle the match in a good way,' Ovrebo told the Web site of the Norwegian football association.

[izzix]

not surprising, must rate as one of the worst ref performances in the history of the game .all were asking where the ref left his guide dog and white stick .
4+ clear penalties went un noticed by the ref

[izzix]

some say he was bribed to allow the game to go a certain teams way .its possible he was bribed or threatened by the local mafia to turn a blind eye, which he seems to have done.

[westerby]

You do realise you're talking to yourself?

[beer monkey]

[BKKSTAN]

not surprising, must rate as one of the worst ref performances in the history of the game .all were asking where the ref left his guide dog and white stick .
4+ clear penalties went un noticed by the ref

And the asst. refs also!

[APLESS ARRY]

I know its not easy to be gracious in defeat but the players behaviour was inexcusable.The fact that Chelsea missed several golden opportunities to have the game won seems to have been overlooked, Drogba being one of the culprits. I think that to interpret the "handball" decisions correctly the ref has a split second to decide if it was a case of ball hit hand or hand hit ball and looking at the tv replays would suggest that his decisions were based on the ball having hit hand rather than hand to ball and in my opinion were the right ones.I do feel that far too many Premiership players have now mastered the art of faking fouls, exaggerate the effects of a tackle and are using gamesmanship to win free kicks.Bring back the wet sponge on a cold December afternoon and they would think twice about rolling around on the cold wet grass and be on their feet to avoid the trainers bucket of cold water.Spare a thought for Hamburg, who arguably lost there semi final through a small ball of paper lying on the pitch causing the player to miscue his clearance ,giving away a corner and conceding the winning goal a few minutes from the end.

[Galee]

I think that to interpret the "handball" decisions correctly the ref has a split second to decide if it was a case of ball hit hand or hand hit ball and looking at the tv replays would suggest that his decisions were based on the ball having hit hand rather than hand to ball and in my opinion were the right ones..

What a load of cobblers.

I know your entitled to your opinion and you probably think I'm biased but your opinion is the opposite of professional pundits and referees.
Next your be telling me it's OK for defenders to stand in front of an opponent with their arms out wide attempting to block a shot or a cross, knowing that if they block the shot or cross with their arm it won't be a penalty because the ball hit their arm. Why do you see defenders blocking shots with their hands behind their backs?. Because they know if they have their hands out and the ball hits them it's a penalty.
Also going by your logic, when defending a free kick with a wall of players inside the penalty area it's perfectly OK for them to jump up with their arms in the air, as was the case in Chelsea's last penalty appeal, in the knowledge that if the ball hits their raised arm it wont be a penalty. An arm shouldn't be in the air. If it is and the ball hits it and you gain an advantage its a penalty. It's not rocket science, it's the way the modern game is played.
With regard to the first penalty appeal, if you read FIFA's guide to referees it clearly states that if a infringement of the laws continue into the penalty box a penalty should be awarded.
As yet UEFA has not made any official comments about the Norwegian W*anker. I and many others, included professional footballers and officials will be amazed if he is not criticised and censured for a completely inept performance.

[cfcmik]

Its pure speculation but if any of the 3 penalty incidents happened outside the box how many free kicks
would the ref have awarded? The ref was either incompetent or didn't have the bottle to make a decision.
Best he go back to the fjords where he belongs and refs sunday morning pub games.

[APLESS ARRY]

Galee, youre obviously so biased which is why you have not commented on some points of my post including the ones Chelsea missed and there were more than one, and i think ive both read and heard from professionals and pundits past and present that the players behaviour after the game was inexcusable and certainly not acceptable even given the occasion.This is probably the reason for the feeling that Drogbas future is NOT with Chelsea.For a player so physically strong is able to fall over almost when somebody f**ts.Too many players have mastered the art and Its spoiling the game and causing unnecessary yellows.

[BRIAN1874]

I know this is a very late post but I,in my unbiased opinion think the referee had a very very very bad night.He almost shuddered when he saw the time added at 90mns as his nerves (not him) were shot.He was past making big decisions and bottled it completly for the penalty after the Barcelona goal.He should never be given big European games again.
One other thing,the Chelsea supporters in the last 15/20 minutes of the game never supported their team.It was almost as if they were waiting for the Barcelona goal to happen.The Barcelona fans were singing and supporting their team and still believing they could do it.I always believe this transmits on to the pitch and and into the players mindset.I watched the full game replayed several times and the lack of support from the home crowd invited the equaliser.Not the Stamford Bridge of old that I remember.

Crowds and their support for a team can sway a game IMHO.

[Galee]

Galee, youre obviously so biased which is why you have not commented on some points of my post including the ones Chelsea missed and there were more than one, and i think ive both read and heard from professionals and pundits past and present that the players behaviour after the game was inexcusable and certainly not acceptable even given the occasion.This is probably the reason for the feeling that Drogbas future is NOT with Chelsea.For a player so physically strong is able to fall over almost when somebody f**ts.Too many players have mastered the art and Its spoiling the game and causing unnecessary yellows.

If you read my comments on another thread about this you will see that I agree with you regarding the behaviour of some of the Chelsea players. I don't see why I have to repeat myself to please you.
Why did you raise the above point yet ignore replying to my comments on the hand ball incidents?

[APLESS ARRY]

Surely this is not the only high profile game where referees decisions have bewildered those both playing and watching and will always lead to differing points of view regarding the possible outcomes had their decisions been different. The" hand ball" incidents you refer to were judged rightly or wrongly by the official and back to my original comment decided ball hit hand not hand hit ball, there is a difference in the rules regarding judging these incidents and many people disagreed with his interpretation of them another ref may have seen them differently.I admit that in the opinion of many supporters" we was robbed "but throughout a season how many times have the refs decisions come down on the side someone supports and go unmentioned. There will always be controversy regarding refs decisions which will always provoke confrontation albeit in most cases friendly rather than hostile discussion.

[wazza]

Just another case for the video Ref Eh !

It in doubt refer it , just like Cricket, Rugby etc

Totally agree on the players acts of falling down with a feather tackle, its so boring, its not funny, then the magic spray and wet towel full of the last players bacteria , quick wipe and a wink and up u get.

But wait, if the players team has been given the advantage , amazing !! the spray, wet towel arent needed and he is up jumping and celebrating as they score a goal.

Every team is guilty and I say TEAM, the managers have the ability to tell their players to stop it, but dont,

And this years Oscar for best acting goes to .............. The entire group of players who have their matches televised across Europe, UK, and South America.

i dont blame the players 100% as it has the support of the Club Management.

[Irish Alan]

If seen on TV as deliberately diving not only should they be booked they should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute by their respective FA/UEFA/FIFA as that is what they are doing, ruining the game.

[saint]

i fell in love with football when it was a mans game , played by men , hard but fair !!!!! a time when you could hear a tackle from the terraces , a time when a tackle was just that , a tackle . a time when profesional footballers were profesional footballers , nothing more and nothing less , not actors or pop icons , or cheats . you can blame everybody concerned with the game for the shambles football has become . from the players themselves to the referees , club managers and even the governing bodies . they are all partly responsible in my view . i started to fall out of love with the game with maradonas hand of god incident way back in the 70 or 74 world cup !!!!!! that to me was the benchmark for all the cheating that we see accuring on every football pitch today . maradona should of been banned from international football for life after that game on the T V evidence . instead it sent a message to all players , cheats do prosper . as long as players are allowed to get away with it , its going to continue .

[BKKSTAN]

I think making the call on most dives is very difficult because much of the contact happens so quickly!Just a brush on the leg or a step on the foot can knock someone off balance enough to hit the deck!

What I hate is the acting after they are down and when they don't get satisfaction they are suddenly fully fit to rush back into the game.
I always think that they are just getting a timeout to rest a little

[Zidane]

saint,
A good post reminding me of the days of Norman Hunter and Chopper Harris.I wonder how the likes of Drogba and Ronaldo would have fared against them!
Maradona's "Hand of God" incident was in the 1986 World Cup,I think ??
But I agree these cheats and divers should be harshly punished,not necessarily by fines but by being suspended for about 6 games at a time.That might galvanise their clubs into doing something about it.Also for off the ball incidents that the ref doesnt see but is picked up on TV.....elbowing,punching,spitting etc.....give similar severe bans for those sort of incidents not just a small fine.

[BobHelm]

Agree with the 'later' use of video evidence to handle cheating offences.
Zidane, you are correct, only a serious ban will stop these actions, but maybe the length of the ban should be cumulative. Couple of games for 1st. offence, double for second, double that for third & so on!! Gives the offender an opportunity to learn from his mistakes & if he doesn't penalises him..
While I dislike the diving & falling over as much as most other posters I also disliked the antics of some of the old fashioned defenders. Many actually committed criminal offences on the field & used thuggery to discourage skill.
Football should be a mixture of skill, physical endeavour and effort (with some passion for the team you are playing for thrown in). The 'good old days' relied far too much on the physical side and so allowed few to show their skill. The current climate is encouraging the balance to go too far the other way, where no tackle is a fair tackle and is equally ruining the game.

[BRIAN1874]

I think Football is the least active governing body on cheating within any sport .Maybe they have their own agenda or reasons for this,who knows.I have read the book by Andrew Jennings called "Foul".It accuses Sepp Blatter(head of FIFA) of financial irregularities and he is being investigated by police in Switzerland regarding this.I believe this book to be accurate and I also recall a documentary,maybe Roger Cooke,not 100% sure,relating to the same.This is also convincing in that Sepp Blatter is not incorruptable.Maybe he is to busy watching his own back to regulate the game correctly and this is why football is way behind other sports in being pro-active regarding cheating.Next years world cup in Africa was also 100% certain to take place there,due to block voting,which again,Sepp Blatter was involved in.If its corrupted at top level then after that,corruption at any level is possible.Any views on this or am I a cynic and fool for believing what I read and also the media ?