6th May 2009, the UEFA Champions league semi-final return leg at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Barcelona is on. The hosts score first through a Michael Essien 25 yard left-foot volley within 10 minutes. As the game draws to an end, Barcelona have no attempt on target and are living dangerously as their opponents create chance after chance. Controversy rears its head when during the game, 4 penalty shouts from the home team are waved away by the day's official from Norway, Tom Henning Ovrebo. Then in stoppage time, Barcelona players conjure their first attempt on target and it goes in courtesy of an Andres Iniesta shot from the edge of the box to level the scores at 1-1. Full time and the Chelsea players are livid with the man in the middle, especially Drogba, who for his troubles is consequently booked and later suspended by UEFA for his part in the mini fracas that ensued. Ovrebo receives death threats in the aftermath of the game and disappears from public view. Barcelona, after qualifying on aggregate, goes on to meet Manchester United in the final and lift the trophy after a 2-0 win in Rome.
28th April 2010, the UEFA Champions league semi-final return leg at Camp Nou between Barcelona and Inter Milan is on. On 28 minutes, Barcelona are reeling from a 3-1 loss away to their opponents and need to score urgently as the fans start getting restless but are getting nowhere as the away team has effectively packed the bus infront of goal due to the fact that they are leading on aggregate and are in no need of goals. Inter's Thiago Motta, who is already booked, gently sticks his right hand in Sergio Busquets's face and the Barca player goes down like he's been shot. Motta is shown a straight red card and is fuming. Barca end up scoring through Gerard Pique before the final whistle but it is not enough (2-3 aggregate) to take them through to the finals. Inter (coached by Jose Mourinho) match on to beat Bayer Munich in the final, in Madrid, to lift the trophy.
8th March 2011, the UEFA Champions league quarter-final return leg at the Camp Nou and Barcelona are 2-1 down on aggregate from the first leg at the Emirates. Barcelona score before half-time but Arsenal equalize after half-time courtesy of a Sergio Busquets own goal. 3 minutes later, with Barca having the majority of possession but going nowhere and still 3-2 down on aggregate, Arsenal's Robin van Persie is shown a controversial second yellow card for kicking the ball towards goal 1 second after the referee sounds the whistle for time wastage. The player is shocked and angry as he tries to explain to the referee that he did not hear the whistle over the loud noise by the fans to no avail. Barca went on to score two more and win the match 3-1 and eliminate Arsenal 4-3 on aggregate.
27th April 2011, the UEFA Champions league semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The El Classic now dubbed the Hell Scrapico due to the scrappy nature of the previous games between the two sides, meeting for the third time in a month after in the league and King's cup, is living up to its name with neither side having any clear-cut scoring chances. Just after half-time, Real's Pepe is shown a straight red card for allegedly high booting Barca's Dani Alves who rolls on the ground as if in real pain, even carried out on a stretcher, only to jog back into the pitch almost immediately. Mourinho, who is the Real coach, is also shown a Red card for sarcastically applauding and talking back at the referee. 10 men for the fourth time, in every of the 4 matches they have played against Barcelona this season, Real concede 2 goals before the match ends.
Barcelona is ranked as the best football team currently because of their style of football and the achievements over the years. The questions being asked by their opponents, neutral fans and other clubs (behind closed doors not to risk punishment by the governing body) in the football world are; if they are already that strong, always dominating possession, why do officials' decisions or indecisions seem to tilt the balance in their favour particularly when they are struggling? Are the officials influenced to bin impartiality? Is UEFA, for the sake of marketing the sport as a beautiful game and rejection of defensive teams, behind it? Is it a Conspiracy or just a Coincidence?
28th April 2010, the UEFA Champions league semi-final return leg at Camp Nou between Barcelona and Inter Milan is on. On 28 minutes, Barcelona are reeling from a 3-1 loss away to their opponents and need to score urgently as the fans start getting restless but are getting nowhere as the away team has effectively packed the bus infront of goal due to the fact that they are leading on aggregate and are in no need of goals. Inter's Thiago Motta, who is already booked, gently sticks his right hand in Sergio Busquets's face and the Barca player goes down like he's been shot. Motta is shown a straight red card and is fuming. Barca end up scoring through Gerard Pique before the final whistle but it is not enough (2-3 aggregate) to take them through to the finals. Inter (coached by Jose Mourinho) match on to beat Bayer Munich in the final, in Madrid, to lift the trophy.
8th March 2011, the UEFA Champions league quarter-final return leg at the Camp Nou and Barcelona are 2-1 down on aggregate from the first leg at the Emirates. Barcelona score before half-time but Arsenal equalize after half-time courtesy of a Sergio Busquets own goal. 3 minutes later, with Barca having the majority of possession but going nowhere and still 3-2 down on aggregate, Arsenal's Robin van Persie is shown a controversial second yellow card for kicking the ball towards goal 1 second after the referee sounds the whistle for time wastage. The player is shocked and angry as he tries to explain to the referee that he did not hear the whistle over the loud noise by the fans to no avail. Barca went on to score two more and win the match 3-1 and eliminate Arsenal 4-3 on aggregate.
27th April 2011, the UEFA Champions league semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The El Classic now dubbed the Hell Scrapico due to the scrappy nature of the previous games between the two sides, meeting for the third time in a month after in the league and King's cup, is living up to its name with neither side having any clear-cut scoring chances. Just after half-time, Real's Pepe is shown a straight red card for allegedly high booting Barca's Dani Alves who rolls on the ground as if in real pain, even carried out on a stretcher, only to jog back into the pitch almost immediately. Mourinho, who is the Real coach, is also shown a Red card for sarcastically applauding and talking back at the referee. 10 men for the fourth time, in every of the 4 matches they have played against Barcelona this season, Real concede 2 goals before the match ends.
Barcelona is ranked as the best football team currently because of their style of football and the achievements over the years. The questions being asked by their opponents, neutral fans and other clubs (behind closed doors not to risk punishment by the governing body) in the football world are; if they are already that strong, always dominating possession, why do officials' decisions or indecisions seem to tilt the balance in their favour particularly when they are struggling? Are the officials influenced to bin impartiality? Is UEFA, for the sake of marketing the sport as a beautiful game and rejection of defensive teams, behind it? Is it a Conspiracy or just a Coincidence?
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