Football
Mike Whalley 9y

Steven Gerrard: Chelsea players' behaviour against PSG was normal

LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has defended Chelsea's players after Zlatan Ibrahimovic accused them of acting like "babies."

The Paris Saint-Germain striker made the claim over the incident that led to him being sent off as his side knocked the London club out of the Champions League in a stormy match at Stamford Bridge.

Ibrahimovic was dismissed for a 31st-minute challenge on Oscar, with Chelsea's players surrounding referee Bjorn Kuipers to complain about the tackle.

But Gerrard said such behaviour was "normal" as players would try anything they could to win a match.

He said: "I think it's normal when you play games at that level. Players want to win so much, and you've got managers who want to win so much.

"Players will try every trick in the book to try to get over the line and win football matches.

"Sometimes it doesn't look nice, but we've all been guilty of it throughout our careers -- not always abiding by the rules. Football's not always going to look nice."

He said he did not believe Chelsea's behaviour would damage manager Jose Mourinho's reputation, adding: "I don't think he'll be interested in whether it tarnishes his legacy. He's a winner. He's won many, many trophies.

"I think every single player has respect for him as a manager. He's going to win many more titles as he goes along, and will probably go down as one of the best managers of all time."

Despite Ibrahimovic's red card, Paris Saint-Germain drew 2-2 after extra time to go through on away goals, with the first leg in France having ended 1-1.

Chelsea's exit means Arsenal and Manchester City are England's remaining Champions League representatives -- and both are facing elimination after first-leg home defeats.

Gerrard, however, said he believed English clubs would recover and said: "We'll certainly be coming back. I don't think it's a crisis. I don't think it will repeat like that as the years go by. Teams will bounce back.

"Chelsea, City, ourselves and Arsenal will make signings in the summer, and will come back next year to have another good go.

"I don't think it's a major problem, but this year, as a whole, we haven't been good enough."

Gerrard and retired former Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher were at Anfield on Thursday to announce the line-ups for an all-star charity match to take place on Mar. 29.

Tickets for the game, set to feature Chelsea captain John Terry and striker Didier Drogba, sold out within 24 hours of going on open sale.

Proceeds from the match will go towards the Liverpool FC Foundation and several other local causes, including Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Gerrard said Terry "might get a little bit of stick on the day, but it's nothing he hasn't taken before. It shows you what type of guy he is by coming and helping out."

^ Back to Top ^