The club statement reads: 

STATEMENT ON UEFA APPEALS 

Posted on: Mon 29 Jun 2009 

Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has today lodged an appeal against the UEFA bans given to Didier Drogba and José 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.

 

Didier Drogba received a six match ban suspended to four for swearing into a camera (which Sky immediately played back with fan noise cut out - and had the temerity to apologise for doing so afterwards!) and José Bosingwa four matches suspended to two for stating to the media after the match that referee Ovrebo was a “thief”.

Other punishments handed out by UEFA in the past:

(1) Two Girondins Bordeaux players received a total of five European club matches between them (3 and 2 matches) after ugly scenes also involving abuse at the referee after a UEFA Cup match against Anderlecht. 

. 

UEFA's also banned Bordeaux masseur Marc Venet for two matches after tripping one of the assistant referees in the tunnel after the game.

. 

Bordeaux were also fined 32,000 Swiss Francs (31,780 USD) for "improper conduct".

.

.

(2)    Barcelona manager Pepé Guardiola was sent off for abusing the 4^th assistant after insisting that his side should have had a penalty against Bayern Munich. 

After being sent to the stands he continued to communicate with his coaches and players. 

No further punishment was given except for the obligatory one-match ban.

. 

See it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwohcNbZOWw  

(3)    Dynamo Zagreb were fined 150,000 euros with 50,000 euros suspended for three years by UEFA after fans threw smoke bombs onto the pitch during UEFA Cup matches.

(4)    UEFA banned then Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for four matches following his attack on Serbia player Ivica Dragutinovic. 

Scolari also received a 12,000 euros ($16,780) fine. 

(5) UEFA issued a stadium ban for Athletico Madrid after substantial racial abuse (monkey noises) from the fans during a match against French club Marseille.

The two match ban was successfully appealed and their match against Liverpool was allowed to take place.

(5)    Aragonés was fined £2,000 by the Spanish FA (UEFA chose not to act despite the training session being for an international match) for racist abuse when he called Thierry Henry a “black sh*t” during a conversation with José Antonio Reyes which was caught on camera. 

Arrogones SUCESSFULLY appealed the decision! 

'I went to court because it was a stain on my reputation,' said Arrogones. 

All clubs are equal – but some are more equal than others obviously.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• The Squad – Who in and who out during the transfer window?