Champions League referee who faced death threats after Chelsea game ready for next match

Referee who angered Chelsea ready for next match

OSLO — The Norwegian referee who faced death threats after a Champions league semifinal between Chelsea and Barcelona said he is eager to get back on the pitch.

Tom Henning Ovrebo, 42, was accused by Chelsea players and fans of making bad calls and missing penalties in last week’s 1-1 draw that saw Barcelona advance to the final.

Ovrebo told the Web site of Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang late Tuesday he was looking forward to refereeing a Norwegian league match on Saturday. He said if he draws any extra attention, “I hope it is before the game and not after.”

Ovrebo said that European soccer body UEFA still won’t let him talk about the Champions League match. He also declined to discuss death threats made over the Internet “because that would be wrong to talk about for now.”

Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack were among the Chelsea players who confronted the referee after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge, angry over the fact that he waved off several penalty appeals. Drogba swore into a television camera.

UEFA is currently considering what disciplinary action to take against Chelsea players and the club.

Ovrebo told Verdens Gang that life more or less has returned to normal for him, though he has noticed that people “point and stare” at him on the street in Oslo.

“I visited family, and I’ve been to work — my other job as a psychologist. I’m good, my kids are good, and everything is fine,” he said.

Ovrebo is highly respected in Norway where he’s won the Kniksen Prize for the league’s top referee five times. Last year FIFA listed him among 38 prospective referees for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.