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Today, Swedish referee Anders Frisk explained the reasons why he announced the end of his career as a judge yesterday. One of the best referees in the world, Frisk made this decision out of fear for his and his family's safety.
"After the match between Barcelona and Chelsea, I received numerous threats," Frisk explained on the website of the Swedish Referees Association. "It's just not worth continuing. My and my family's safety is more important than anything. The last two weeks have been the worst in my life."
The scandal surrounding this referee erupted after the match between Barcelona and Chelsea. Chelsea's head coach, Jose Mourinho, accused Barcelona's coach, Frank Rijkaard, of trying to influence referee Frisk during the game. Mourinho even claimed he saw Rijkaard entering Frisk's dressing room, but was unable to provide any evidence. In the second half of that match, Frisk sent off Chelsea forward Didier Drogba from the field.
"I still believe I acted correctly in Barcelona," Frisk stated. "Chelsea has fans from all over the world, so the threats did not only come from England. It will soon become impossible to referee Champions League matches if clubs cannot accept defeats."
