'Unhappy' Chelsea accept punishment

"We are very sorry about the situation that developed with referee Anders Frisk and if we get any evidence about the people who were harassing him we will turn that over to the appropriate authorities."

The fallout from one match has dogged Chelsea and European football's governing body ever since Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League first leg tie.

UEFA today finally handed down their verdict on enough claims, counter-claims and conspiracy theories to fill a detective novel, with Rijkaard insisting he only welcomed Frisk to Barcelona, Mourinho alleging that his opposite number entered the referee's dressing room and UEFA originally accusing the Chelsea manager of telling lies.

It subsequently emerged that Mourinho did not witness the meeting - the reason behind Buck admission of a "misunderstanding" - and although Mourinho was relying on the evidence of Clarke and Miles, the fact that the club stood by their position did not totally convince UEFA today.

With much of the controversy surrounding the dynamics of the Nou Camp, Standard Sport went undercover to take a closer look at the layout.

A revamp of the stadium this season has undoubtedly led to some of the discrepancies over what happened.

After leaving the pitch, the tunnel leads to a set of stairs at the top of which is a glass partition. Turn left and you head towards a door to the away team's dressing room. Turn right and you go towards the Barcelona dressing room. If you go straight on you are taken through a glass partition which takes you to a room through which you can access the referee's changing room. It is possible to access the area behind the glass partition from both changing rooms and it would appear that it is here that the events unfolded.

Chelsea claimed that rather than taking a right to go the quickest way to the home dressing room, Rijkaard chose to walk on through the glass partition and into a zone which players and coaching staff should not access on Champions League nights. It is claimed he had a five-minute conversation with Frisk inside the referee's dressing room while Clarke and Miles watched.

Rijkaard can also enter the home team dressing room from behind the glass doors. What is clear is that the Chelsea onlookers would be able to see what happened in this area from their own changing facilities as it also has a door which leads to this room. They would also be able to witness events from the "correct" side of the partition.

This would appear to put a different light on comments made by UEFA's director of communications William Gaillard which claimed Clarke and Miles could not have seen what they alleged.

All sides now hope to draw a line under the controversy. Under article two, paragraph two of UEFA's disciplinary regulations, a banned manager is not allowed 'in the dressing room, tunnel or technical area before and during the match'.

For once, Mourinho will have to let someone else do his talking for him as he sits and watches his side try to reach the semifinals of the European Cup.