Chelsea protests likely to fall on deaf ears

Chelsea’s complaint to UEFA over the conduct of Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard and referee Anders Frisk during their Champions League tie in the Nou Camp stadium will now centre around the vexed question of whether the Dutchman entered the official’s dressing room at half-time.

But it is unlikely that UEFA will impose any punishment on either party as there appear to be no strict guidelines that prevent managers from talking to referees before, during or after games, despite Mourinho’s insistence to the contrary.