LEAVE ØVREBØ ALONE!…..Please.
You know what, Didier Drogba? I could not agree with you more. What we saw at Stamford Bridge yesterday, both during and after the game, was indeed "a f#$%cking disgrace!" The diving belle of Chelsea's attack put on an unprecedented show of postgame histrionics, and that's saying a lot considering the flopping and whining that mark just about every game in European footy these days.
I've never seen an athlete-- a professional athlete... an adult!-- carry on like that or scream obscenities INTO THE CAMERA on the field. Quite simply, it took the beloved drama we've come to expect from these European games and warped it all into some dark, stupid maudlinism. "Dream Team" would've written off Drogba's performance as too kitschy. But the rot goes deeper...
Precious Roy did a pretty comprehensive recap of the Chelsea players' commentary back at 10 am. Naturally, their anger, the frustration of once again crashing out of the CL in spectacular fashion, has triggered some less than professional, if not downright ugly responses by the players, Drogba of course being the prime culprit. Nevermind the referee missed as many calls for the Blues as he did for Barca-- who actually had a man sent off. Chelsea's loss was their own, and Drogba's rage should be directed at a mirror, not a camera.
But this isn't about Chelsea. It isn't about Barcelona. It's not about Gerry Pique's hand or Eto'o's elbow.
It is about the constant nattering that follows, and often precedes every big match. It's either Ferguson, or Benitez, or Wenger, or _______, or all of them, all at the same time, playing these [cue: euphemism] mindgames... and when the game is done and the score settled, so begins Act Two: the recriminations and posturing and blame.
And it's all centered on one man. The lowly referee. Corrupt scourge. Impotent blowhard. In this case, it's Tom Henning Øvrebø, the overmatched knucklehead who, by various estimates, failed to do his job properly between four and 424 times in 90+3 minutes yesterday in London.
Is it possible that Øvrebø and all his colleagues are just THAT BAD? Perhaps there are just not enough decent officials in all the sporting world to continue playing these games?
Or maybe, just maybe, today's players have made it impossible for guys like Øvrebø to do their jobs. Swans like Drogba and Ronaldo and Henry (in the WC Final, no less) and a million other footballers in a million different games from the Prem down to the Conference and all the way out to Turkey have made such a habit of dropping and whinging that it must be impossible for a single human being to distinguish the real infractions from the embellishment and playacting. In the end, it has a chilling effect on the ref and his willingness to blow his whistle and point to the spot.
Øvrebø should look at the ball bounce calmly into Pique's outstretched hand and make his call without a thought... a reflex move like Valdes flashing his arm to deflect Drogba's free kick. Yes, there is some nuance to the decision, but I promise you it was not the fine print of the rule book that clouded the Norwegian's gleaming dome. He was asking himself, "Did I really see what I just saw?" And whatever the answer, by the moment it was settled, too much time had passed. The play had moved on and the whistle, swallowed.
So please, leave Tom Henning Øvrebø aloooooone! He's a creation of our game. To hate him is to hate all modern football.
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11 comments:
To the adage: "The ball is round and the game is 90 minutes. The rest is theory" there should be an addendum: "And the ref is always wrong."
"The ball is round and the game is 90 minutes."
Whoever wrote "Run Lola, Run" never saw a game at Old Trafford.
Chelsea's probably maybe regretting playing that soul-sucking negative game last week, eh? A goal there might've helped. Douches.
I haven't seen anything from Autoglass since yesterday...has anyone checked his garage?
"Perhaps there are just not enough decent officials in all the sporting world to continue playing these games?"
Why stick around when even if you get things right, you're crucified? I think about quitting refereeing often and I love doing it. I don't think I'd ever be able to ref at the professional level, nothing is worth this amount of abuse.
Tom Henning Ovrebo is a fu*king CU*T he must have been match fixing there is no other explanation for his shockingly bias show!!!!!! Disgusting the game of football and the Champions league final is a Sham. Hope the chelsea boys get their hands on him!!!!!!!!
Know what's most awesome about that match fixing? The way it so manipulated everything for the drama: a sending off for the team things were fixed in favor of, a dramatic 93rd minute goal... That's brilliant stuff from UEFA or FIFA or whatever bunch of usually-inept officials would be in charge of it.
He blew a couple of calls. Ballack's personal friend ref blew a few calls in Barcelona. If you don't want to leave the match in the officials possibly fallible hands, maybe spend more time trying to, you know, score.
@Dustin was being sarcastic, mate.
There is a good point here and the article is somewhat correct. I've been asked about this a LOT in the past two days - the problem I have with the officiating nowadays is there is no level of consistency. That's why everyone is so up in arms Thursday - because we've all seen those calls made before - but not here in one of the biggest games of the season. Also - what is UEFA doing appointing a NORWEGIAN ref who's done 10 Champions League games in his career? Is it THAT difficult to pick your 5 top refs and say 'Ok - you four are doing the semifinals and you do the final - end of story.' My guess is those five refs would be freom the 5-major European leagues - and sorry Norway, that's not you. I don't blame Ovrebo - I blame UEFA because they put him there.
Think that 10 CL games was a number Chelsea players made up and started promulgating. The Guardian had his total number at 21 Champions League matches.
Don't care much what someone's nationality is. Just so long as they can do the job. Is Howard Webb any better because he's an English official? There were really three blown calls.
There should have been a PK for Pique's handball. And Abidal should not have been sent off. He didn't even touch Anelka. There is also some wiggle room in the third, the foul on Malouda in the box. The contact started well outside the box. If the penalty is indeed given from where the contact is initiated then even that wasn't a blown call. We should really look that one up, though.
Found this page through Google, and I have this to say:
You're completely right.
The "fucking disgrace" is the way Chelsea's players and fans reacted.
They should really watch every "doubtful" decision by itself and judge. Other than Piqué's handball and Abidal's red card, all of his other decisions were either in the gray area, or completely correct.
But sore losers love complaining. Hell, I even heard today (the morning after the Final [2-0]) about United's fans who are complaining that Barça have cheated the game (that Piqué should have gotten a red card instead of yellow) while completely ignoring to total domination of Barcelona throughout 80 of the 90 minutes, and a 2-0 victory.
A new conspiracy theory? I wouldn't be surprised.
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