CHELSEA IN MORE MITHER

Last updated : 09 March 2005 By editor

From The Guardian

'Chelsea's stirring 4-2 win last night - 5-4 on aggregate - ended in chaos and acrimony with Barcelona involved in tunnel scrap, their striker Samuel Eto'o spitting at a steward, after allegedly being racially abused, and Frank Rijkaard saying that elimination was particularly hard to take because of Chelsea "lies".

The post-match problems near and in the tunnel did not involve any Chelsea players but appeared to be sparked when the Chelsea scout Andre Villas provoked Rijkaard. Stewards intervened to try to usher Rijkaard towards the tunnel and matters deteriorated as they began to deal forcibly with several Barcelona players, including Eto'o, Ronaldinho and the goalkeeper Victor Valdés.

Eto'o said he was called "a monkey" and was seen to spit as the scene became increasingly wild, Barcelona players and stewards scrapping at the tunnel mouth. Rijkaard had to restrain Valdés physically before calm was restored.

"One of the stewards called me a monkey," said Eto'o. "Just look at the coach [Mourinho], he's not respectable. This is the mentality of this football club."

Rijkaard tried to play things down. "It wasn't a big deal, really," he said. "Someone came forward and insulted us, our bench. I don't know who, some guy. I don't really want to say what I think about it."