The Norwegian referee who received death threats after showing a red card to Asier del Horno has revealed he has been inundated with support for dismissing the Chelsea left back against Barcelona on Wednesday.
Chelsea had condemned death threats made towards referee Terje Hauge on fans' forums in the wake of the Champions League encounter at Stamford Bridge.
"I often get feedback from friends, family and colleagues," said Hauge, "but this time I have received an enormous amount of support from unknown people, via text messages, saying they support the sending-off."
Hauge again defended the red card and suggested del Horno stayed on the turf longer than necessary after clattering into Lionel Messi. "He knew what was awaiting him as he lay on the ground," he told his local paper, Bergens Tidende. "I think he deliberately tried to drag the time along."
Hauge said he and his assistants would have cautioned del Horno for an earlier studs-up tackle on Messi if they had seen the incident from a different angle.
The referee knows, however, the furore over the sending-off will not die down quickly. "I meet people who discuss decisions made by me 15 years ago," he said. "I guess this is a controversial one that I will have to live with for a long time. There has to be a debate, true passion and feeling. It's an important part of the game."
Meanwhile, the Premier League in England is expected to announce next Friday who will chair their inquiry into irregular payments in the transfer market. The league is understood to have almost completed its selection process, which has seen eight figures considered for the post including John Stevens, the former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
The chairman will then announce the inquiry's terms of reference next week.
The inquiry will examine transfer deals involving Premier League clubs over four transfer windows and is expected to report by summer. Its recommendations will be considered by the Premier League Board.
Guardian Service
Bohemians yesterday confirmed they have lined up a friendly game with Everton for April 25th at Dalymount Park. Details of ticket availability will be publicised at a later date.
