15 years ago one of the most scandalous matches in Champions League history was played

On this day, exactly 15 years ago, on May 6, 2009, one of the most controversial matches in the history of the UEFA Champions League was played.

In the semi-final of the 2008/09 Champions League, Chelsea played against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge after a goalless draw at Camp Nou (0-0). The referee for that match was Norwegian Tom Henning Øvrebø.

In the first half, Øvrebø did not award two penalties to Chelsea, and towards the end of the game, when Barcelona equalized, he did not award a penalty after the ball struck a hand. Øvrebø's refereeing infuriated Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, who chased after him on the field, while Didier Drogba directly called the officiating "f****ng disgrace" in front of the camera.

Following that match, Øvrebø retired from his professional refereeing career, and Barcelona went on to defeat Manchester United 2-0 in the final.

In 2012, the Norwegian referee admitted that Chelsea fans had been sending him death threats for a long time.