Essien Charged by Uefa

[mother_goose]

Essien Charged by Uefa (http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=332693&cpid=5&CLID=&lid=2&title=Essien+charged+by+Uefa&channel=football_home)

Uefa have charged Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien with gross unsporting conduct.

The Ghanaian midfielder incurred the wrath of Europe's governing body for his high tackle on Dietmar Hamann during Liverpool's draw with Chelsea on Tuesday.

German star Hamann was left with severe bruising on his knee following Essien's lunge which was not spotted by referee Herbert Fandel or his assistants.

With the challenge not dealt with on the night, Uefa have the ability to take a retrospective look and they have opted to review the incident.

"Uefa has today instigated disciplinary proceedings against Michael Essien, charging the Chelsea FC midfielder with gross unsporting conduct following the English club's UEFA Champions League game against Liverpool FC on Tuesday," read a statement on Uefa's website.

"The charge relates to Essien's tackle on Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann, which occurred out of the sight of both the referee and his assistants during the 0-0 Group G draw at Stamford Bridge.

"Any statement about the above, as well as any evidence, can be submitted to UEFA by 14 December 2005.

"The Uefa Control and Disciplinary Body will decide on the matter at its next meeting on 15 December."

Chelsea have issued a brief statement, which read: "We have seen the statement from Uefa but have yet to receive official notification of the charge.

"There will be no further comment on this issue."

Should Essien be found guilty, he is likely to miss a portion of the knockout stages of Chelsea's Champions League campaign.

[yasik19]

this sucks, but he probably deserved it. Hopefully Maka will be healthy by that time.

[sydneymuganzi]

I know everyone is happy that chelsea is being punished(of course I agree Essien fully deserves the punishment).But had the tackle been made by a player of an other club he most probably would have escaped with no punishment from UEFA.
To spite the reat of Europe more,we should just go ahead and bring in Javier Mascherano to fill in for Essien for the European fixtures.

[yasik19]

the bad thing is if we get someone like Juve in the next round, who has a strong midfield, Essien will really be missed, even if we get Maka back.

[nicephoras]

You make bad tackles you get punished for them. That being said, I still haven't seen the game. But Essien better cut that out.

[catenaccio_L'pool]

I know everyone is happy that chelsea is being punished(of course I agree Essien fully deserves the punishment).But had the tackle been made by a player of an other club he most probably would have escaped with no punishment from UEFA.

If this were the first time they could let it go...no Chelsea conspiracy here...the jerk wants to break legs so he should get punished
Abramovich should hire a shrink for Essien...he's a really good player who doesn't need to be dirty, but he is...sometin aint right in that dude's head

[blackjack]

Yeah, this sucks. But the guy's gotta learn. He deserves a three game suspension at the least, maybe more. It was honestly one of the worst challenges I've seen over the last two or three seasons. We're going to miss his strength in midfield, especially if we draw one of the Italian sides.

[nicephoras]

If this were the first time they could let it go...no Chelsea conspiracy here...the jerk wants to break legs so he should get punished
Abramovich should hire a shrink for Essien...he's a really good player who doesn't need to be dirty, but he is...sometin aint right in that dude's head

I don't think he's so much dirty as reckless. Remember, Gerrard used to do this on a regular basis too. There's a difference between merely dangerous and Roy Keane.

[JoshDB]

It was an awful tackle.

Let's get Javier Mascherano...

[yasik19]

It was an awful tackle.

Let's get Javier Mascherano...

come on Josh.....yes, it was a bad tackle, but that's no reason to get rid of one of the best holding midfielders in Europe. He'll learn, remember, he is still very young. We did fine last year against Barca and Bayern with just Maka, so we'll survive. Also, there still is a chance he will be not punished, small, but still a chance.

[JoshDB]

come on Josh.....yes, it was a bad tackle, but that's no reason to get rid of one of the best holding midfielders in Europe. He'll learn, remember, he is still very young. We did fine last year against Barca and Bayern with just Maka, so we'll survive. Also, there still is a chance he will be not punished, small, but still a chance.

Depends on if the check goes through. ;)

I'm not talking about replacing Essien, he'll learn. I'm just suggesting we buy Mascherano as cover for either Essien or Maka.

[nicephoras]

First, Mascherano is the starting CM for Argentina and their most important player. You don't buy players like that for "cover". Second, he's currently out with a muscle tear in his thigh and won't play again until the new year.
I would love to have Mascherano at Chelsea, but lets be clear; he'd be Makelele's successor in a year or so. Not a backup.

[JoshDB]

First, Mascherano is the starting CM for Argentina and their most important player. You don't buy players like that for "cover". Second, he's currently out with a muscle tear in his thigh and won't play again until the new year.
I would love to have Mascherano at Chelsea, but lets be clear; he'd be Makelele's successor in a year or so. Not a backup.

Well, I mean if Maka or Essien breaks a leg, we should probably buy him. :O

[nicephoras]

Then lets hope we don't buy him until the summer.

[BridgeMonkee]

I honestly think that it wasn't that bad a tackle. Football is a tough game at times (ask anyone who's played it). Did the German lad he tackled (a) go off with a crippling injury or (b) stay on the pitch and continuing playing the rest of the game?

From the same game Mohamed Sissoko's tackle on Eidur Gudjohnsen was just as bad imho.

Essien will be missed but we are NOT a one man team, we can deal with it.

[Miles Brasher]

I honestly think that it wasn't that bad a tackle. Football is a tough game at times (ask anyone who's played it). Did the German lad he tackled (a) go off with a crippling injury or (b) stay on the pitch and continuing playing the rest of the game?

From the same game Mohamed Sissoko's tackle on Eidur Gudjohnsen was just as bad imho.

Essien will be missed but we are NOT a one man team, we can deal with it.

I've only seen the 5 second replay and from a couple of angles, but I thought you like my input Monkee. ;)

Whether he crippled Hamann or not is immaterial, the point is he could have. At worse it was premeditated, at best reckless.

From the angles I saw it, it was almost as though he was trying to win the ball from another player (Gerrard??) and Hamann came in from the side and surprised him, so it might not have been premeditated.
But it was still bloody reckless, and his second really nasty challenge that's been picked up on, so we'll soon find out whether this'll be a regular occurance or he's just been unlucky. I never saw him play for Lyon, so I dont know whether he was a clean or a dirty player for them. How crap was the ref ?Can't believe he didn't yellow or red him.

[Lanesra]

I honestly think that it wasn't that bad a tackle. Football is a tough game at times (ask anyone who's played it). Did the German lad he tackled (a) go off with a crippling injury or (b) stay on the pitch and continuing playing the rest of the game?

From the same game Mohamed Sissoko's tackle on Eidur Gudjohnsen was just as bad imho.



Essien will be missed but we are NOT a one man team, we can deal with it.

I don't want to get all Zani on you but, you don't need to fire the shotgun when you rob the bank.

[BridgeMonkee]

but I thought you like my input Monkee. ;)

How crap was the ref ?Can't believe he didn't yellow or red him.

Always appreciate your input Miles :)

He should have been carded. Yellow.

The ref was crap and the linesman - did you notice the p1ss poor offside calls?

The ref also should have yellow carded that filthy bastard Sissoko for his outrageous tackle on Ediur.

Viera, Keane, etc I like these players. Essien is a long way from being as good and as dirty as them - but if he were to be our Keane or Viera I really would have no complaints.

The challenge by Essien was bad, but lets not get carried away here and over protect players, it is a physical game after all, and the challenge was not malicious.

I sometimes wonder if any of the posters on here have ever played the game.

[BridgeMonkee]

See, here we have the typical response of a bed-wetter. . .who probably wears one of these protective "timmy" helmets



http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/sm-full-90-f90-select-soccer-head-guard--pi-1908160.html


if he actually plays the game at all . . .




the jerk wants to break legs so he should get punished
Abramovich should hire a shrink for Essien...he's a really good player who doesn't need to be dirty, but he is...sometin aint right in that dude's head

[Andy Bennett]

It was an awful tackle.

If you watch it closely he looks like he 'pulls' the contact at the last moment. he doesn't straighten his leg in other words so it could have been a lot worse.

Let's get Javier Mascherano...
Hmm. Not sure about bringing in fellas direct from South America to be honest. At least with the European leagues you can have SOME idea of what to expect.