- Title: SWITZERLAND: CHELSEA BOSS MOURINHO HANDED TWO MATCH TOUCHLINE BAN BY UEFA.
- Date: 31st March 2005
- Summary: NYON, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 31, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. UEFA FLAGS OUTSIDE BUILDING 2. PRESS WAITING FOR ARRIVAL 3. CHELSEA REPRESENTATIVES ARRIVE 4. CHELSEA CHAIRMAN BRUCE BUCK (WITH GLASSES) ARRIVES, REFUSES TO ANSWER PRESS QUESTIONS 5. INSIDE HEARING ROOM 6. THOMAS PARTL (BURGUNDY TIE) UEFA CHAIRMAN
- Embargoed: 15th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NYON, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVADTT1POI3BAC1WKF1SQUIIXEQC
- Story Text: Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho handed a two match
touchline ban by UEFA.
Chelsea were fined 75,000 Swiss francs ($62,800) and
coach Jose Mourinho handed a two-match touchline ban by
UEFA on Thursday (March 31) over the Anders Frisk affair.
The London club, charged with bringing the game into
disrepute, had alleged Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard
visited the Swedish referee at halftime during the first
leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie at
the Nou Camp on February 23.
UEFA had accused Chelsea of making false declarations
and "deliberately creating a poisoned and negative
ambience" after they refused to attend the post-match news
conference and submitted a report detailing their
allegations.
"Mourinho... will have to sit out the quarter-final tie
against Bayern Munich, subject to an appeal," a UEFA
statement said.
Mourinho was also fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($16,750).
Premier league leaders Chelsea, who beat Barca 5-4 on
aggregate, play Bayern in the first leg of their Champions
League quarter-final on April 6 with the return in Germany
six days later.
Mourinho did not attend the hearing of UEFA's control
and disciplinary committee at its headquarters in Nyon.
Chelsea were represented by Plc chairman Bruce Buck, who
said they were unlikely to appeal.
"We think that the hearing was a full and fair hearing,
we were able to make our points and make our statement and
we were pleased with the proceedings. We would like to put
this incident behind us," Buck told reporters.
"We are not overly happy with the decision but we
certainly respect the decision made by the panel," said
Buck. "We are not likely to appeal but would like to
reserve that decision until we see the reasoning of the
panel which we expect tomorrow."
UEFA said Chelsea and Mourinho have three days to
appeal but would not discuss the reasons behind its
decision.
Mourinho's assistant Steve Clarke and Chelsea security
official Les Miles were reprimanded after also being
charged with bringing the game into disrepute.
Frisk received death threats from Chelsea fans
following the Nou Camp leg and announced his immediate
retirement from refereeing, leading to condemnation of
Chelsea by UEFA.
UEFA's head of refereeing Volker Roth was quoted as
describing Mourinho as an enemy of football and the
Portuguese threatened to sue although UEFA later said
Roth's words had been mistranslated.
Chelsea, who were leading 1-0 at halftime, lost the
first leg 2-1 after striker Didier Drogba was sent off but
went through to the quarter-finals with a thrilling 4-2 win
in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
When charged, Chelsea responded by issuing a statement
attacking "individuals within UEFA" for their public
pronouncements on the case and said that if the result of
Thursday's hearing went against them "in a big way" they
would take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Earlier this week Mourinho indicated he did not
personally witness Rijkaard enter the referee's dressing
room but took the word of his staff.
Rijkaard has said he feels Mourinho rather than the
club should be punished.
"What he said was a pack of lies, very serious lies,
and it is not the first time," said the former Dutch
international.
Last week Chelsea and Mourinho were charged by the
Premier League over an illegal approach to Arsenal's
England defender Ashley Cole. Earlier this month Mourinho
was fined by the English FA over comments made after a
League Cup match against Manchester United.
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