Since the discussion of Clattenburg in the Spurs game, I'm interested to see how people feel about the Ovrebo situation against Barcelona.

Do people feel it was a fix before the game had even started, the ref was just poor or we were just unlucky?

To me it was an absolute hatchet job as UEFA didn't want an all English final for the second year running and I know this has been discussed over and over but I've never heard the opinions of many on here!

To quote Twattenburg but amend it slightly to the context of our CL SF:

Quote

.I helped the game, I certainly benefited the game by my style of refereeing. Some referees would have played by the book and Barca would have been down 3 or 4 goals and Abidal would have been sent off in the first half for bringing down Drogba and they'd have probably lost, and Barca and Guardiola would've been looking for an excuse but I didn't give them an excuse, because my gameplan was not let them lose .

 

The fact that it almost seems like that was the actual quote is sad.

I'm not in the 'English FA and referees try to screw us' boat but I think you're right about that match. They would have hated a repeat all English final and with their favorite team and manager one goal away from elimination UEFA likely had a word with someone on that crew. Don't forget his linesmen didn't seem to call for anything either. I don't think Chelsea were targeted but it was more an English club thing. Either way it was the most egregious show of refereeing I can think of

Btw I think we would have put a hurting on United in the final had it been fair against Barca. That side was great. 

For some years now I have thought, things just happen and it could have been another way in an other day but this Clattenburg-gate made me think these things sometimes happen because someone wants it to happen.

- UEFA didn't want again a same english final, Chelsea was stronger than Barcelona, If the game is in 1/4 we win the game with 2 or 3 penalty.

- It was the first final between Ronaldo and Messi if Barcelona was going in final.. For UEFA it's a matter of money.. Better for them to have Ronaldo vs Messi in final

Honestly I think that was Clattenburg being a showboating moron. Ovrebo i don't think had that sense of grandeur. I watched the game again the other day. He was a bit of a deer in headlights. A couple were marginal calls but Pique handball was a penalty for sure.  

If I'm honest I feel sympathy for Ovrebo. That night will define his life.

Total fix.

It was obvious that UEFA didn't want an all-English final two years running and with one of Manchester United or Arsenal guaranteed to make the final, we were the unfortunate victims.

Bent as a nine bob note

My old thread

In agreement that it was a fix.

complete fix, will never forget that bent fcuk platini celebrating with the barca players at the final

and the clattenburg fiasco in the united prem game was also very suspect

Main issue is why he was even reffing? A big game like that needs a big ref. Not a small fry who was afraid to give big decisions. 

I don't think it was fixed. 

Anyone see this? I never knew about these Ovrebo babies.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2020/may/06/andres-iniesta-calls-children-born-because-of-his-goal-against-chelsea-in-2009-video

On 17/03/2019 at 16:20, bisright1 said:

Main issue is why he was even reffing? A big game like that needs a big ref. Not a small fry who was afraid to give big decisions. 

I don't think it was fixed. 

I agree. The biggest game he had ever reffed by a magnitude of 10. He wasn't the right choice. 

2 hours ago, bisright1 said:

I agree. The biggest game he had ever reffed by a magnitude of 10. He wasn't the right choice. 

Agreeing with yourself? Cabin fever setting in?

2 hours ago, charierre said:

Agreeing with yourself? Cabin fever setting in?

Seems that way!!!

I don't think it was a fix, I can remember a few decisions going against Barcelona aswell, Overbo was just a terrible referee and shouldn't have been put in that position, he bottled it. 

Clattenburg the same, he was a bottle job, he's literally admitted to caving in to peer pressure and big stadiums, joke of a referee he was. 

I don't buy the conspiracy theory. Ovrebo was refereeing a champions league semi final, he had more to lose than gain by having such a terrible and obvious catastrophe.

I just think he was a poor referee who had an awful evening. It wasnt that he gave bad decisions, he just didnt give anything which suggests he got stage fright. Maybe he was worried about backlash from Barcelona, maybe he didnt want to be the centre of attention and, ironically, made himself exactly that by failing to award obvious penalties. There must also be some arrogance there too, because any referee would have second thoughts after the reactions of drogba and ballack, especially. His assistants didnt exactly help him out too much either!

The most heartbreaking night Ive had as a Chelsea fan, moreso than losing the final in 08. I think its because in that semi final we were streets ahead of the "best team in world football" and we genuinely deserved to win, and i think we would have won the final if we had got there. In the 08 final it was so close and i would probably say that United were slightly better than us over 120 minutes anyway, so I could sort of handle the defeat (after about 4-5 years to reflect and calm down...)

Even Hiddink thought that game could have been fixed. He said Ovrebo had been perfect before that game and in this one the worst officiating he's ever seen... Anyway I don't know about this. Sad night after such a perfect performance by us. I haven't seen such dominant performance by a team against that peak-Barcelona ever. It really is sad we didn't get those obvious calls. With VAR things could be different and we'd won the CL earlier.