UCL: Barcelona Vs Chelsea
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from soccernet
Mourinho gets hostile reception in Spain
Jose Mourinho was spat at and subjected to verbal abuse as Chelsea received a hostile welcome in Barcelona as they arrived to prepare for Tuesday's Champions League showdown.
Former Barca coach Mourinho angered Catalan supporters by accusing Lionel Messi of 'play-acting' in the first leg at Stamford Bridge in order to get Asier del Horno sent off, with Chelsea ultimately losing 2-1.
The Barcelona fans at the airport jeered and jostled the Blues boss when he arrived from London and spat at him and the team bus.
Mourinho responded by smiling and applauding sarcastically.
Chelsea TV cameraman Kieren Startup, filming the scene, told the club's official website: 'There were very few police to marshal it, and they didn't seem interested once the players got on the coach to stop any abuse.
'It was intimidating, there was a lot of aggressive chanting at Mourinho to begin with, but he ignored it and then they moved on to angry gestures and spitting.
'Everyone else on the coach seemed to be unbothered.'
Mourinho's hostile reception in the Catalan city extended to the newspapers.
One of them used a picture of the Chelsea manager with a headline which read 'Here comes the monster' and another printed his hotel and room number, encouraging fans to give him a call.
Mourinho, a former Barca coach, said: 'This is more important than the game? To me it means nothing.
'I come here to play football and what happens outside the pitch is not important. It does not affect me. The only thing that worries me is the game tomorrow.'
The first leg was won 2-1 by Barcelona but best remembered for a pre-match row about the pitch, Asier del Horno's red card and Mourinho's angry after-match reaction.
The Chelsea boss branded Barca forward Lionel Messi an actor and claimed referee Terje Hauge had got the red-card decision wrong.
The match referee is Markus Merk from Germany and Mourinho said: 'Before the game I am always positive . I always believe in fairness and truth. You will never hear me say this referee has come to help the opponents. I never say that.
'I never worry about who is the referee and linesman and their nationality.
'I believe the referee can perform well, do his best and create a clean situation for both teams.
'That's what we want in every game.'
Messi, Barcelona's star of the first leg, was rested for Saturday's league game against Deportivo La Coruna but will be unleashed on the Blues as the Spanish champions seek revenge on last season, when they were beaten by Chelsea at the same stage of the competition.
Mourinho said: 'The only way to stop Messi is with 11 players on the field. We must have double marking. With 10 players it is not possible to mark Messi because he will have a lot of space.
'He dribbles very well and if he has a one-on-one and wins it you always need a second man to avert the danger.'
Mourinho is without suspended duo Del Horno and Michael Essien but promised his team will give their all to become the first English team to win in Barcelona in the European Cup.
He said: 'Barcelona have the advantage, not only in terms of the result but emotionally. But how many times in football have things changed?
'I don't see it as my biggest challenge.
'I have two suspended and I have to play without them but, with the players I have available, I will do my best.' -
the above is making the 2nd leg very 'exciting'.
maybe more controversies on the field. -
I like it.....
Everywhere Chelsea goes, sure got controversy...... what's new?
Anyway, I hope both sides play attacking football from the word go. Barcelona would like to score first to put a damper on Chelsea. Chelsea would like to draw first blood to reduce the deficit....
It would be a cracker. -
Go Barcelona go!!!!!
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too bad essien n del horno cant play. and xavi too. or else two sides use full strength then more nicer.
anyway can someone help me confirm is gallas n lampard playing. anymore casualties? -
Whatever the line up for both sides, this will go down as one of the Match of the Season.
Go Chelsea.......... Whack in that 2 goals !
and block out Barcelona..... -
Originally posted by eemtij:Whatever the line up for both sides, this will go down as one of the Match of the Season.
Go Chelsea.......... Whack in that 2 goals !
and block out Barcelona.....
We never know. -
All part of the fun of football ... you just never know what's going to happen
Barca's the clear favourite with many but, while Chelsea's capable of messing up against a weaker team, they are just as capable of beating Barcelona! Like it or not, both are very good teams. It's such a pity they're meeting at such an early stage. -
chelsea really needs to sign a creative midfielder and a good striker.
lampard is just not good enough. his passing is totally hopeless.
makelele is my favourite player at chelsea. -
barcelona is playing with chelsea at the moment with their passes. esp ronny
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chelsea's tactics for this match sucks. they totally looked out of sorts.
mourihno did not even have the guts to play with two strikers. their weakness were thoroughly exposed. they need 2 goals but look at what they have upfront - crespo and drogba. who is on the bench? so much about being the 'special one'. ronaldinho gave chelsea an idea of what they need next season.
the 3 worst performers for this match; lampard, robben, duff. joe cole comes next.
lampard is a joke. he is nothing as compared to ronaldinho. he has no idea what a midfielder should do. -
how can? http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=160323Originally posted by dragg:chelsea's tactics for this match sucks. they totally looked out of sorts.
mourihno did not even have the guts to play with two strikers. their weakness were thoroughly exposed. they need 2 goals but look at what they have upfront - crespo and drogba. who is on the bench? so much about being the 'special one'. ronaldinho gave chelsea an idea of what they need next season.
the 3 worst performers for this match; lampard, robben, duff. joe cole comes next.
lampard is a joke. he is nothing as compared to ronaldinho. he has no idea what a midfielder should do.
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Personally I found Duff performing worst than Lampard.Originally posted by dragg:chelsea's tactics for this match sucks. they totally looked out of sorts.
mourihno did not even have the guts to play with two strikers. their weakness were thoroughly exposed. they need 2 goals but look at what they have upfront - crespo and drogba. who is on the bench? so much about being the 'special one'. ronaldinho gave chelsea an idea of what they need next season.
the 3 worst performers for this match; lampard, robben, duff. joe cole comes next.
lampard is a joke. he is nothing as compared to ronaldinho. he has no idea what a midfielder should do.
Hardly made any inroads to attacking the Barca defence.
Chelsea needs more depth in their side, especially a proven striker (Drogba? Nah...) and someone to dictate play in midfield (not Lampard, he looked out of sorts) -
it is obvious from the last few performances that chelsea's form has dipped. luckily for them the season is coming to an end and they are more than 10 points ahead. their closest challengers are not doing themselves any favours by dropping points.
drogba is really not good enough for a squad as big as chelsea. crespo seems more interested in going back to milan. his future is not with chelsea.
chelsea depended too much on lampard. he is good at free kicks and power shots. but lately his form has dipped too.
they need a total revamp. robben is also not as good as he was. SWP is a waste of money!! -
Long season, keep on using same players in and out, of course will be tired wad
Even when I play computer games like FM also will rotate my players and limit them to 35 appearances per season wad. Else they'll really be jaded. -
We got beaten by the better team over the 2 legs. Hats off to Rijkaard & his team.
Mourinho was wrong to say the better team won. The Chelsea team was not fluid enough. Passing was haywire.
This is coming from a Chelsea Die Hard Fan. -
crespo missed that chance..darn it..how could he..if drogba i can understand..
but crespo...wtf.. -
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that is exactly mourihno's problem.Originally posted by deathscythe99:Long season, keep on using same players in and out, of course will be tired wad
Even when I play computer games like FM also will rotate my players and limit them to 35 appearances per season wad. Else they'll really be jaded.
why did he sign SWP? why did he keep carlton cole? why did he sell mike forsell?
if he has signed better players and released the useless ones he would have better players to rotate. -
never mind that chelsea lost to barca. at least they lost to a great team.Originally posted by eemtij:Whatever the line up for both sides, this will go down as one of the Match of the Season.
Go Chelsea.......... Whack in that 2 goals !
and block out Barcelona.....
liverpool, the defending champion lost both legs to one of the weakest teams.
it proves that not everyday is a sunday. -
i hope barca avoid milan all the way.
a final between these two clubs will be ideal!!! -
Yeah, I'm hoping for a Milan v Barca final too
