Blues lodge appeals to UEFA
29 Jun 2009 - 17:19:37
Chelsea have appealed against the bans UEFA imposed on Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa for their behaviour during last month's Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Barcelona.
Chelsea have also appealed against the £85,000 fine they were handed for the improper conduct of their players and fans.
Drogba was banned for four games and handed a further two-match suspended punishment after his angry reaction to the Blues' exit.
The Ivory Coast international faced up to Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo at the final whistle of the 1-1 draw, after Barca had scored a dramatic late equaliser to reach the Final on away goals.
Ovrebo had waved away several Chelsea penalty appeals during the game and Drogba allowed his frustrations to boil over at the end of the match.
Meanwhile, Bosingwa was banned for three games for his post-match outburst, having referred to the match official as a cheat before later retracting his comments.
A statement on Chelsea's official website read: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has today lodged an appeal against the UEFA bans given to Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa, and the fine imposed against the club.
"We believe these punishments are unnecessarily harsh given the circumstances.
"We would reiterate that the players and the club are acutely aware of our responsibilities towards setting a good example as role models and upholding the values of the game.
"That is why honest and sincere apologies were made swiftly after these regrettable incidents occurred."