Barca out to give Chelsea the blues

The season’s most high-profile match so far will, as expected, be staged with controversy as the backdrop. Chelsea host Barcelona tomor...

The season’s most high-profile match so far will, as expected, be staged with controversy as the backdrop. Chelsea host Barcelona tomorrow on a dodgy Stamford Bridge pitch and with memories of last season’s momentous tussle fresh in everyone’s minds.

Chelsea’s muddy and balding pitch, described as a potato field by Jose Mourinho and criticised in the Catalan media, is unlikely to help either the Spanish or English champions in the first leg of the first knockout round tie.

Mourinho, reacting to suggestions they had deliberately allowed the pitch to deteriorate to hamper Barcelona’s passing game, said: ‘‘Only stupid people can think that a team like Chelsea with the quality Chelsea have can be happy with a pitch like this.’’

Story continues below this ad

He added on Sunday that it looked worse than it played. “Sometimes you see beautiful people with no brains but you see ugly people who are intelligent scientists. Our pitch is a bit like that.”

The star attraction, Ronaldinho, said he has no concerns about Chelsea’s pitch. ‘‘We know the grass is in a bad state but it will be the same for both teams and I’m not worried about it’’, he said.

The big controversy last year was over Swedish referee Anders Frisk. After the first-leg game between the two sides in Barcelona, Mourinho had complained that Rijkaard had gone to speak to Frisk at halftime, implying he had tried to influence the referee.

Rijkaard has now got back, taking a playful swipe at Mourinho by joking he was a close friend of Terje Hauge, referee for tomorrow’s match. ‘‘The Norwegian referee is a close friend of mine. We speak to each other almost daily and when we can, we eat together’’, Rijkaard was quoted as saying in the Catalan daily Sport on Tuesday.

Story continues below this ad

When asked about his relationship with Mourinho, Rijkaard replied: ‘‘His professional qualities are there for all to see. He has won more European titles recently than anyone. On a personal level I couldn’t say. The relationship I have with the Norwegian official appointed for the game is better than the one I have with the Chelsea coach. I have never had tea or coffee with him.” (Reuters)