Chelsea icon Bosingwa has no regrets over 2009 Champions League final ban
Jose Bosingwa has said he would "do it again" after being banned for his reaction to the "injustice" of Chelsea's 2009 Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona.
The Blues were beaten on away goals after Andres Iniesta scored a stoppage time equaliser for Barca at Stamford Bridge following a controversial refereeing performance.
Norwegian Tom Henning Ovrebo was heavily criticised after the match having failed to award a penalty to the hosts after two strong claims after challenges on Didier Drogba.
Drogba and Bosingwa led the post-match criticism of Ovrebo and were ultimately handed six and four-match bans, respectively, for their actions.
Chelsea had taken an early lead through a screamer from Michael Essien before Eric Abidal was sent off for Barcelona in the second half.
However, with Iniesta's 93rd minute equaliser providing Barcelona with the necessary away goal to take the through to the final, things boiled over.
The Chelsea players had been repeatedly incensed by Ovrebo's decisions to ignore their penalty claims, with a late Samuel Eto'o handball also ignored by the Norwegian.
Famous footage shows Drogba approaching a touchline camera and calling the match a disgrace, while Bosingwa called Ovrebo a 'cheat' after the match.
Was Jose Bosingwa right to call Tom Henning Ovrebo a 'cheat'? Let us know in the comments section below.
He does not regret his actions, though, telling FourFourTwo: "I’d do it again, as I felt it was a tremendous injustice.
"I have no clue about who chose the officials, but the reality is that you can’t opt for a Norwegian one who’d refereed seven or eight games in his country to take charge of a Champions League semi-final with so much at stake!
“Among other things, we should have been given three or four penalties that night – I never felt so wronged in my entire career."
Bosingwa and Chelsea would get their hands on the trophy three years later as Drogba inspired them to a penalty shoot-out win over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Meanwhile, Ovrebo officiated just four more Champions League matches before retiring from officiating in 2013.
Bosingwa spent four years at Stamford Bridge after signing from Porto in 2008 for £18.5million.
In total, he made 126 appearances for the Blues and also won the Premier League and two FA Cups to go with his Champions League winners' medal.
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