Former Premier League referee Graham Poll expects UEFA to hand out long suspensions to Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack following last week's Champions League exit.
Drogba confronted referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the clash against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, while Ballack was furious with the official for not awarding a penalty.
UEFA are still gathering evidence ahead of any action being taken against the club or their players.
"I think there will probably be fairly hefty match bans, maybe eight to 10 for Drogba and five or six for Ballack," Poll told Setanta Sports' Football Matters.
"They will probably get halved on appeal - that's kind of the way UEFA do things... they always know there's an appeal coming so they go heavy and then reduce it down.
"I think they'll probably look for Drogba to have six matches because then he misses all the group stage games. That seems a good punishment for him but whether he'll be at Chelsea for those games is another matter."
Comment 1 - 9 of 9
2005/2006: so graham poll denies wanting to make a media career after @#$% refereeing!! he has the same verbal manure to say every week about chelsea.... why has he not commented on the racist ledlet king? favouring spurs again??? poll will always be a 3 yellow card world cup disgrace... he made himself a joke in front of the world but the english media suck up what a worldwide joke has to say... why??
i hope that poisonous frog " platini" dies on christmas day.. so i can take a pony on his grave on new years day!!
I think uefa should ban themselves for selecting the worse referee in the football history...uefa it a joke,it like a network of terrorists and michel platini is the worst I have ever seen,all these things hav been played down, all we want is justice in football,but uefa and the president platin cannot provide it shame on you platini and uefa,
please platini dont forget to discuss about a yellow card that iniesta should have had for taking off his shirts in your meting,nobody has talked about that ? and learn to be fair it might help you and your familly
dont forget uefa what goes around comes around,I will be so amazed to see barcellona winning the european cup
u dont know what chelsea fc and its fan are going through!!!!
please it time to meet again and choose a referee from India for man u against barca, because man u will not forgive barca
peace out platini
f**k you UEFA.
dikeads robbin us then bannin some of our players for stickin up for what they know is right.
how many games will( tom overbo )be baned?it's easy for UEFA to ban players, but when it comes to the refrees and there mistakes UEFA never goes for heavy punishment. shame on them cos some times for there silly mistakes and lack of experiance a team like chelsea or many other teames have lost big torniment.
Yet another example of UEFA and the rabid frog Platini plotting to make life hard for EPL teams if this turns out to be the case. The entire situation is of their making putting a total amateur in charge of such a high profile game.
Does not change the fact that this referee cocked this whole game up and instigated the crazy situation to start with I suppose he will just walk away and take it as part of the learning curve what aload of dogs toilet chelsea supporters need some justice for this also we were robbed and denied and the telivision coverage does not lie come on UEFA stop hiding behind the referees decsion is always right well this terminology needs to be be seriously looked at I also smell many rats with regards to the outcome of the match last wednesday its obivious the powers that be did not want chelsea in the final again did not have to make it look so obvious Norway nil point ....................
the ref should get the ban and drogs should get awards
And what about the referee ? Will he get a life ban from football ?
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