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The leader of the English Premier League, London's defender Michael Essien, will miss the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals - the player has been disqualified for two matches for his rough play against Dietmar Hamann.
On Thursday, the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Committee reviewed the unsporting conduct of the Ghanaian player in last week's Champions League Group G match, in which Chelsea met Liverpool and played goalless.
23-year-old Essien aggressively attacked D. Hamann in that match, injuring the German player below the knee, who remained lying on the grass in pain. Since the match referee did not notice this episode, UEFA officials took action and, considering Chelsea's defender's request for a lighter punishment and his previous disciplinary history, disqualified the player for two matches.
