In the infamous Champions League encounter versus Barcelona, Chelsea was incensed after penalty appeals were dismissed.
Drogba and Boswinga were disciplined for their actions following the game, and Chelsea received an £85k fine.
Despite criticism, Ovrebo, who now leads a radically different life, has positive memories of his time as a referee.
On May 6, 2025, the 16th anniversary of Tom Henning Ovrebo’s notorious officiating performance during Chelsea vs. Barcelona’s second leg of the 2008–09 Champions League semi-final will take place.
After that fateful night at Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian match official’s career as a top-tier referee and reputation were in ruins. Even after all these years, Chelsea supporters still get shivers when you mention Ovrebo’s name.
How the referee rejected Chelsea Blues’ numerous penalty appeals infuriated Tom Henning Ovrebo
Chelsea, who were hoping to defeat Manchester United in back-to-back Champions League finals, had a great start to the evening. Michael Essien’s incredible strike in the ninth minute gave the 2008 finalists the lead, but Ovrebo waved down many penalty appeals.
Chelsea knew that one more goal would end the tie, and Barca’s work for the evening was made even more difficult when Eric Abidal was sent off with twenty-five minutes remaining. Everyone connected to Chelsea was incensed when Ovrebo dismissed another penalty claim after Gerard Pique clearly handballed inside the box.
Then, after Lionel Messi’s assist in stoppage time, Andres Iniesta scored one of the most well-known goals in Champions League history. However, Ovrebo had time to dismiss one last penalty appeal after Samuel Eto’o’s arm stopped Michael Ballack’s shot, causing chaos.
The wild scenes as Didier Drogba yells into a TV camera, “It’s a disgrace!” after an enraged Ballack chases Ovrebo around the field. It is a f****** embarrassment! will always be remembered by everyone who saw the drama play out.
Chelsea’s Punishment After Barcelona Game
Fined £85k, while Drogba and Boswinga were also punished
Drogba was handed a six-match ban for his foul-mouthed rant; Jose Bosingwa was suspended for four matches after labelling the referee a “thief”, while Chelsea were slapped with an £85,000 fine for “improper conduct of their players and the throwing of missiles by their supporters”. Chelsea’s manager at the time, Guus Hiddink, claimed his team had been ‘robbed’ and called the result a ‘injustice’. The Dutch coach said: “Players make many mistakes, coaches make mistakes, referees make mistakes – that’s why we speak about giving them the benefit of the doubt. But if you have seen three or four situations waved away, then [Ovrebo’s performance] was the worst I have seen.” What Ovrebo Has Said About His Performance Former ref wishes he had VAR that day
“I wish I had the help of the VAR that day,” Ovrebo said to Panenka magazine ten years after the worst night of his career. My helpers and I felt in control after the first half. But I didn’t feel that way at the end of the game. “All right, Tom Henning, this hasn’t been your best night,” I thought as I entered the dressing room.
“I must admit that I was boiling inside,” he continued. I became aware of how contentious things had been in the dressing room. I went from being a reasonably regarded referee to becoming the biggest idiot in international football in the course of two hours. Until we could board a plane and go back home, they placed us under police escort.
“The threats of death were more motivated by my performance in that match and my frustration at losing than by a genuine desire to murder me and my family.”
What about the fact that he rejected so many Chelsea penalty appeals? “I don’t think the Chelsea supporters are correct when they claim four of five penalties, but I think everybody that knows football and the laws of the game knows there should have been a penalty given,” Ovrebo stated in an interview with the Daily Mail in May 2022.
“That occurs, particularly prior to VAR. There are instances when you miss a penalty, a red card, or an important call. And I believe that everyone who understands football agrees that a penalty should have been awarded.
“They are free to guess which ones ought to have resulted in a penalty. I won’t give you the right response because I only have my opinion on the matter and don’t have the answer.”
Ovrebo previously acknowledged that the match played a part in his decline as a premier referee. “When the Champions League continued in August of 2009, I didn’t get the matches at the same standard again,” he stated to Goal.
“I gradually got good matches, and in 2010 we played Fiorentina against Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, though, we failed to spot a blatant offside. Therefore, you had two games where neither my team nor I did very well.
“I didn’t receive any more Champions League matches after that game, but I kept officiating in Norway’s national league. Regretfully, I suffered an injury in 2012. I had to give up my comeback attempt in 2013. View the interview with Ovrebo below:
What Tom Henning Ovrebo Does Now
He became a psychologist after hanging up his whistle
For those who are curious about Ovrebo’s current occupation, he studied psychology in college and is currently employed at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences.
The Norwegian maintains that he still has positive memories of his time as a referee despite all the vitriol. “My motto in my life is that ‘It is better to get bullied than for people to forget you’, so I think that the fans can continue bullying me if they want to; for me, that is no problem,” he stated.
“I have wonderful recollections of my matches. I don’t mind at all if someone wants to cite that match as an illustration of poor refereeing.
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