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Chelsea's firebrand striker Didier Drogba may face a lengthy ban from Uefa competitions for repeatedly abusing Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo in the aftermath of his side’s heartbreaking Champions League exit last night.
Having been booked, Drogba called the referee, in front of a huge worldwide television audience, a “f***ing disgrace” on several occasions, while he also appeared to abuse Guus Hiddink as Chelsea’s interim manager and several stewards attempted to force the Ivory Coast international off the pitch.
Drogba has a well deserved reputation for histrionics, a penchant for diving and acting like a spoiled child and he was castigated for an elbow on Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic in which the Serbian defender lost a tooth last season and the notorious coin-throwing incident against Burnley.
While Chelsea's anger over some of the refereeing decisions last night was understandable, Drogba's behaviour was clearly unacceptable and he deserves the full weight of the law to deal with his actions at Stamford Bridge.
But how does his behaviour compare with that other footballing pariah Joey Barton, currently in the last chance saloon at Newcastle after being suspended by the club for his behaviour after a sending off for a horrible challenge on Liverpool's Xabi Alonso? Barton's lengthy charge sheet, which includes a prison term for assault, a training ground bust-up with Ousmane Dabo and stubbing a cigar in a youth team player's eye, marks him out as one of football's most vilified players.
Both have acted in a brainless manner, have an impressive capacity for losing the plot and an innate ability to make themselves deeply unpopular. So who's worse - Chelsea's sulky and petulant striker or Newcastle's wayward midfielder?
1 FC Cologne 8 Tottenham Hotspur 0, July 22, 1995: group match
The result causes great amusement as Tottenham show contempt for the competition by fielding a team of youngsters. The midsummer start prompts Erich Ribbeck, the Bayer Leverkusen coach, to say: “Every manager who supports this competition deserves to be fired.” Gerry Francis, of Tottenham, merits his place in the dugout on this evidence.
2 Metz 1 West Ham United 3, August 24, 1999: final, second leg (West Ham win 3-2 on aggregate)
The competition has greater allure when a Uefa Cup place is only one step away and West Ham are delighted to win this final after losing the home leg to a goal scored by Louis Saha. Trevor Sinclair, Frank Lampard and Paulo Wanchope are on target in France to put the English club into Europe proper.
3 Fulham 3 Bologna 1, August 27, 2002: final, second leg (Fulham win 5-3 on aggregate)
Junichi Inamoto, the Japan midfield player, steers Fulham into senior European competition for the first time in their history with a hat-trick at the club’s temporary Loftus Road home. The Japanese, a scorer in the 2-2 draw in the first leg in Italy, is on loan from Arsenal and making his first start for their London rivals, Fulham.
Continue reading "The Greatest: English Intertoto Cup matches" »
1960: Soviet Union 2 Yugoslavia 1
In the first European Championship final, played on a wet pitch in Paris, Yugoslavia lead at half-time through a goal by Milan Galic, who beat the legendary Lev Yashin, left, in the Soviet Union goal. Slava Metreveli equalises shortly after the break thanks to a goalkeeping error and Victor Ponedelnik heads the winner for the Soviet Union seven minutes from the end of extra time.
1976: Czechoslovakia 2 West Germany 2 (Czechoslovakia win 5-3 on pens)
West Germany fall two behind after 25 minutes to goals by Jan Svehlik and Karol Dobias. Dieter Müller volleys a quick reply and Bernd Hölzenbein heads an 89th-minute equaliser. Uli Hoeness sends the eighth kick of the penalty shoot-out over the bar — the last touch of his international career — and Antonin Panenka’s gentle chip to the centre of the goal decides it.
1996: Germany 2 Czech Republic 1
Patrik Berger, soon to join Liverpool, fires the Czech Republic ahead from the penalty spot after an hour at Wembley, but parity is restored when Oliver Bierhoff, a substitute, heads in for Germany, conquerors of England in the semi-finals. Bierhoff then scores a scrappy extra-time winner in the first senior international match to be decided by a golden goal.
 Middlesbrough 9 Brighton & Hove Albion 0, second tier, August 23, 1958
The abrasive Brian Clough has been given the captaincy in the summer and, in his first game in the role, he scores five against a Brighton team who will finish ahead of Middlesbrough in the final table.
Middlesbrough 4, Newcastle United 1, second tier, May 5, 1990
On a day when defeat would send Middlesbrough down, they escape by thrashing their local rivals with two goals each by Bernie Slaven, the former Ireland international, and Ian Baird, the centre forward.
Middlesbrough 4 FC Basle 1, Uefa Cup quarter-final, second leg, April 6, 2006
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Middlesbrough go one down. Mark Viduka scores either side of half-time, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink adds a third before Massimo Maccarone completes the comeback in the last minute.
Middlesbrough 4, Steaua Bucharest 2, Uefa Cup semi-final, second leg, April 27, 2006
One-nil down from the away leg and 2-0 behind on Teesside, Middlesbrough again need four goals in the last hour. Amazingly, Maccarone scores before half-time, Viduka and Chris Riggott make it 3-2 after the break and Maccarone, left, mirrors his quarter-final heroics with an 89th-minute winner.
1: Red Star Belgrade 4 Panathinaikos 1; Panathinaikos 3 Red Star 0, 1971
The away goals rule applies to all rounds this season, not just the first two rounds, as in the past. Panathinaikos, coached by Ferenc Puskas, have seen off Everton by this method in the quarter-finals and, after they lose 4-1 in Belgrade, the Greek side again advance on away goals as Anton Antoniadis scores twice in the return.
2: Gothenburg 3 Barcelona 0; Barcelona 3 Gothenburg 0 (Barcelona win 5-4 on pens), 1986
This is the first season in which English clubs are banned from Europe in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster but Terry Venables is the Barcelona coach. His team are up against it after a heavy defeat in the first leg in Sweden but Pichi Alonso’s hat-trick in Spain forces extra time and a penalty shoot-out that they win.
3: Bayern Munich 1 Red Star Belgrade 2; Red Star 2 Bayern Munich 2, 1991
Red Star inflict Bayern’s first home defeat in Europe and then scramble to the final in dramatic circumstances. With the German team 2-1 up a minute from the end of the second leg and extra time looming, Sinisa Mihajlovic’s cross for Red Star is met at full stretch by Klaus Augenthaler, of Bayern, who spoons the ball over his goalkeeper and into the net.
4: Manchester United 1 Juventus 1; Juventus 2 Manchester United 3, 1999
Ryan Giggs scores a late equaliser in the first leg at Old Trafford but United trail 2-0 to two Filippo Inzaghi goals in the first ten minutes in Turin. Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke put United ahead on away goals by half-time and Andy Cole completes the amazing turnaround by scoring his side’s third six minutes from time.
 Southampton 1 Manchester United 0, FA Cup Final, May 1, 1976
Southampton could not gain promotion from the second tier in this season, but against a United team that had held hopes of a Double, they pull off one of the greatest Cup Final shocks. Jim McCalliog’s pass sends Bobby Stokes clear to score.
Southampton 4 Marseilles 0, Cup Winners’ Cup first round, first leg, September 15, 1976
Still a second-tier team, Southampton start their European campaign by thrashing the French side, with two goals from Mick Channon and one each by Malcolm Waldron and Peter Osgood.
Southampton 8 Coventry City 2, top division, April 28, 1984
Southampton, who will finish the season as runners-up to Liverpool go on the rampage thanks to hat-tricks by Danny Wallace and Steve Moran and a goal each from David Armstrong and Frank Worthington.
 Southampton 3 Arsenal 2, top division, May 19, 2001
Southampton twice come from behind, each time via a goal from Hassan Kachloul, before Matthew Le Tissier scores the winner, two minutes from time, in the last competitive match at The Dell.
Coventry 4, Liverpool 0, top flight, December 10, 1983
Liverpool, in their pomp, are en route to retaining their league title during a season when they will also win the European Cup and League Cup. Yet they are swept away as Terry Gibson scores the first hat-trick against them for 11 years.
Coventry 3, Tottenham Hotspur 2, FA Cup Final, May 16, 1987
In Coventry’s only FA Cup Final to date, they trail twice to Clive Allen’s early goal and Gary Mabbutt’s fortunate effort. But Dave Bennett taps home and also sets up Keith Houchen’s diving header before Lloyd McGrath’s extra-time cross diverts in off Mabbutt’s outstretched leg.
Tottenham Hotspur 1, Coventry 2, top flight, May 11, 1997
Second bottom of the table, Coventry can avoid relegation on the final day by winning this match, provided Middlesbrough and Sunderland fail to win away. First-half goals by Dion Dublin and Paul Williams bring them victory and the other results go their way.
Coventry City 6, Derby County 2, second tier, April 30, 2005
In Coventry’s last game at Highfield Road before their move to the Ricoh Arena, they lead 4-0 at half-time against their Midlands rivals. Gary McSheffrey and Stern John score twice and Andy Whing, their young substitute, scores the last goal at the ground.
West Brom 3, Bradford Park Avenue 1, top division, April 10, 1920
In West Bromwich’s only league title-winning season in their history, they clinch the championship with four games to spare. Their 104 goals for the season — 37 of which come from Fred Morris, the England forward — is the most in a campaign up to this point.
West Brom 2, Birmingham City 1, FA Cup Final, April 25, 1931
As a second-tier team, West Bromwich overcome their top-flight local rivals at a rain-soaked Wembley. Billy Richardson gives them a half-time lead and then scores again a minute after Joe Bradford equalises for Birmingham.
Manchester United 3, West Brom 5, top division, December 30, 1978
At a snowy Old Trafford, United lead twice before Tony Brown equalises for West Brom to make it 3-3 at half-time. The visiting team secure victory with two goals in the final quarter of an hour, including the fifth, by Cyrille Regis, after a breathtaking counter-attack.
West Ham United 3, West Brom 4, second tier, November 8, 2003
Brian Deane’s first two goals for West Ham and an own goal by Phil Gilchrist put the home side three up after 17 minutes. Rob Hulse replies twice and West Ham have Jermain Defoe sent off for a bad foul before the break, after which comes an own goal by Deane and Lee Hughes’s winner.
Manchester United 4 Tottenham Hotspur 1: Cup Winners’ Cup second round, second leg (agg 4-3), December 10, 1963
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg in the first all-English European tie, United, winners of the previous season’s FA Cup, hit back to eliminate the Cup Winners’ Cup holders. David Herd and Bobby Charlton score twice each, with Jimmy Greaves replying for Tottenham.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2: Uefa Cup final, first leg, May 3, 1972
Martin Chivers puts Tottenham in the driving seat in the only all-English European final to date. The forward scores twice in the first leg, either side of Jim McCalliog’s goal for Wolves, and the London team retain their advantage after the return match to win 3-2 on aggregate.
Nottingham Forest 2 Liverpool 0: European Cup first round, first leg, September 13, 1978
Liverpool begin their defence of the European Cup against the league champions at the City Ground and are defeated by goals from Garry Birtles and Colin Barrett. It is the latest in a series of epic battles between the teams and Forest hold on at Anfield for a 2-0 aggregate win.
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2: Champions League quarter-final, second leg (agg 2-3), April 6, 2004
Level at 1-1 after the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal lead at half-time at Highbury thanks to a goal from José Antonio Reyes. However, Frank Lampard equalises for Chelsea after an error by Jens Lehmann, the goalkeeper, and Wayne Bridge strikes the winner with his left foot with three minutes remaining to send Chelsea into the semi-finals.
Aston Villa 4, Manchester United 6
FA Cup third round, January 10, 1948
George Edwards scores the first of his two goals for Villa after 13 seconds, but United lead 5-1 at half-time. Villa pull it back to 5-4 and then hit the bar, but Stan Pearson scores his second and United’s sixth two minutes from time.
 Manchester United 3, Barcelona 0
Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final, second leg, March 21, 1984
After losing the first leg 2-0 to Diego Maradona and Co in Spain, United lead at half-time through a Bryan Robson goal. In a fervent atmosphere, Robson and Frank Stapletonscore in quick succession in the second half.
Manchester United 2, Sheffield Wednesday 1
Premier League, April 10, 1993
United trail Aston Villa by a point with six league matches left, but while Villa draw at home to Coventry City, United come from behind with two late Steve Bruce headers to go top, where they stay to record their first title in 26 years.
Manchester United 2, Bayern Munich 1
Champions League final, May 26, 1999
Already League and FA Cup winners, United are behind for 85 minutes as they seek a unique treble. But two David Beckham corners in the dying moments of time in the Nou Camp lead to goals by two substitutes, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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