Former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink claims the controversial Champions League defeat to Barcelona in 2009 could have been a fix.
Hiddink said that the officiating of the encounter by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo was the worst he has ever seen.
Hiddink is still dismayed by the officiating that night. Photo credit: Goal.com
The Blues were controversially denied four penalities by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo before Andres Iniesta struck in the last minute to send the Catalans through to the final on away goals.
Ovrebo, who now works as a psychologist in Oslo, turned down four Chelsea’s penalty claims, and the West London club was cruelly eliminated from the Champions League by Andres Iniesta’s 94th-minute goal for Barcelona which put them through on the away goal’s rule.
After the match, Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, verbally attacked Ovrebo, and later received a five-match ban. ’, while Chelsea manager on the night Hiddink described it as ‘the worst refereeing’ he ever saw.
Drogba famously fumed at the officials. Photo credit. Supersports.com
Ovrebo suffered death threats in the aftermath of the game, while UEFA was accused of fixing the game to avoid a repeat of the 2008 final between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Eleven years on, Hiddink has reopened old wounds and admits he still suspects foul play.
Hiddink told Ziggo Sport: “The referee performance surprised me, because in the past he’d had perfect performances. Is it the worst refereeing I’ve ever seen? I think so. This is the only time I thought a match could’ve been fixed.
While Florent Malouda and Drogba’s penalty shouts fell somewhere in the ‘seen-them-given’ category, handballs from Gerard Pique and Samuel Eto’o were stonewall.
Meanwhile, Ovrebo has since admitted to making genuine mistakes during the encounter.
In his words “It was not my best day,” Ovrebo told Marca in 2018. But those mistakes can be committed by a referee, and sometimes a player or a coach. Some days, you aren’t at the level you should be. But no, I cannot be proud of that performance. There were several errors, and everyone will have their opinion of those plays.”
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