Blues midfielder slams UEFA rules

Mikel unhappy with suspensions

By Zain Alvi | 25th April 2012

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has hit out at UEFA’s current ruling on yellow cards, which does not protect players from missing the Champions League final when issued a costly booking.

In the UEFA European Championship, a yellow-card amnesty rule allows a player’s booking record to be refreshed after the quarter-final stage and starting with the FIFA World Cup 2010, players are protected from missing the final if they exceed their booking limit in the semi-finals.

Europe’s most elite competition does not implement any such rules, though, which forces Chelsea trio Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic, and Raul Meireles to all be ruled out of the club’s massive Champions League final clash with either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid next month.

Mikel was left fuming at the current rules, particularly given that Chelsea skipper John Terry was also sent off against Barca in an incident that the Nigerian felt was exaggerated by Alexis Sanchez.

“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. Yes, the yellow cards should be cancelled going into a final and UEFA should look into that,” a frustrated Mikel told reporters.

He added: “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.”

The Blues have been extremely resilient in their pursuit of European glory this season but winning the trophy won’t get any easier, particularly as the opposition – whether Bayern on Real – will still be treated as the favorite.