Drogba apologises for behaviour after Chelsea defeat

Striker Didier Drogba has apologised for his behaviour following Chelsea's dramatic Champions League exit against Barcelona on Wednesday.

The Ivory Coast captain harangued Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the final whistle and then directed a foul-mouthed rant directly to a live TV camera.

He was angry at Ovrebo's refusal to award Chelsea any penalties despite strong appeals on four occasions. "I was very upset at what happened during the game, but having seen the pictures on TV I accept that I overreacted," Drogba said.

"I also accept that the language I used did not set a good example for those watching at home, especially children," he added.

"I regret that in the heat of the moment I let out my incredible frustration and disappointment in this way, and for that I apologise."

Drogba, booked after the final whistle, came off in the second half with an injury but showed no signs of the ailment as he confronted the referee and gesticulated at him.

Chelsea's Jose Bosingwa also said he regretted calling the referee "a thief" and retracted his comments.

"We were all very disappointed and frustrated after the game, but I regret describing the referee as a thief. Having had some time to reflect I would like to withdraw those comments," Portugal fullback Bosingwa said in a statement.

Tensions were running high at the end of the game after Barca's Andres Iniesta scored in the third minute of stoppage time to level an early goal by Chelsea's Michael Essien.

Barcelona advanced to the final against Manchester United in Rome on May 27 on the away goals rule after the first leg ended in a goalless draw in Barcelona last week.