Mikel calls for UEFA to overturn 'soft' Terry red card
John Obi Mikel believes UEFA should overturn suspensions on the “devastated” Chelsea quartet that will miss the Champions League final.
Last night the Blues somehow overcame John Terry’s first-half sending off at the Nou Camp to progress to the Munich finale at the expense of Barca.
The Chelsea captain kneed Alexis Sanchez from behind and will miss the final against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich as a result, and will be joined on the sidelines by Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic and Raul Meireles.
The trio incurred a one-match ban after collecting bookings last night and Mikel is frustrated by the current system.
Asked if he felt his team-mates have been robbed of their dream, the Nigeria international said: “Yes, the yellow cards should be cancelled going into a final and UEFA should look into that.
“When you get to the final everyone wants to see the best players and it’s a shame that JT, Ivanovic, Meireles and Ramires won’t play.
“The JT one was soft from what I saw and it was a yellow card. I think Sanchez made the most of it.
“Alexis did the same to me as well. He got me yellow carded.
“There was a little touch and he rolled on the ground 10 times. He definitely made the most of it.
“The four players were devastated in the dressing room.
“They’re happy for the team but are very disappointed to not be in the final. We will go out to win the trophy for them.”
FIFA changed their rules for the 2010 World Cup to provide an amnesty after the quarter-finals to ensure no player could miss the final through a booking in the last four.
For UEFA to do the same, the Club Competitions Committee would have to propose such a rule change but it would not come in time for this year’s final, much to Ivanovic’s disappointment.
“We can’t talk about the referee’s decisions but, to be honest, it feels like someone has taken something from your career,” the Serbia international said.
“My booking? I got it for kicking the penalty spot before the penalty (which Lionel Messi missed).
“It was strange. But I have to be positive.
“Nobody believed we’d get through and we did.
“Yes, Chelsea can win it without us if we go into the game with the mentality we showed here.”
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