UEFA hopes Chelsea coach learns lesson
(seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Updated: 2005-04-04 10:35

UEFA's chief executive hopes Chelsea and coach Jose Mourinho learned a lesson from their punishment over claims that Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard influenced a referee during a game last month.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was given a two-match ban Thursday March 31, 2005 by UEFA for bringing the game into 'disrepute' and 'making false declarations.' The ban will keep Mourinho off the bench for the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal games with Bayern Munich on April 6 and April 12. [AP]

Lars-Christer Olsson said he agreed with the penalties imposed Thursday by the disciplinary panel of soccer's European governing body, which suspended Mourinho for two matches and fined the club.

"In our opinion it has been a fair procedure and it's a fair verdict," Olsson said Friday during a visit to Lisbon, Portugal.

Mourinho was also fined $16,700, and the club docked $62,600.

The coach alleged that he saw Rijkaard talk to Anders Frisk in the referee's dressing room at halftime of the Feb. 23 game at Camp Nou. He claimed the meeting influenced the game. Frisk sent off Chelsea striker Didier Drogba in the second half and Barcelona rallied from a goal down to win 2-1.

Olsson said the penalties were "in the same range as for similar offenses."

"The message out of this is that if you have a role like a high-profile coach or a high-profile player, you have to take your responsibility of being a role model for so many other people," Olsson said.

"I hope (Mourinho) has already learned some lessons. I think anybody who's involved in a case like this will learn a lesson from it."

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