Referee Tom Henning Ovrebo: ‘I still get abuse from Chelsea fans for the 2009 semifinal against Barcelona’
Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo has admitted he is still the subject of abuse from Chelsea fans after he took charge of its controversial Champions League semifinal defeat to Barcelona in 2009. The official waved away four penalty appeals for the Blues during the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which saw Pep Guardiola’s side go through on away goals after Andres Iniesta’s late strike earned them a 1-1 draw. But the big talking point was Ovrebo’s failure to award a penalty despite several strong claims, and the 45-year-old says he is still facing the wrath of Blues fans three years later. “The abuse has lasted and I get about three to four emails a year,” he told The Guardian . “It is not nice but nothing too serious, either. I don’t let it upset me or my family. They do not know much about it as I do not show them the emails. Ovrebo also admitted that whilst he does harbor regrets about that match, he has learnt plenty from the experience. “Looking back there are certainly things I would have done differently. I learnt a lot from that experience,” he added. “But all referees will tell you that they have good and bad matches, moments they do well and moments they do not so well, that is all part of the job. “I cannot keep regrets about this one match. My life has to move on from this.” Chelsea meets Barcelona later this month, again in the semifinal, and Ovrebo is sure he will be tuning in to see how the Blues fare. “Despite all that happened I still love watching the Champions League,” he said. “Especially the big matches that come later on in the tournament, and this is definitely a big match.”
