"I started to have a few conspiracy theories" - Hiddink suggests he initially believed rumors that Chelsea vs Barcelona UCL tie in 2009 may have been fixed
Chelsea and Barcelona's meeting in the semifinals of the Champions League in 2009 ended on a controversial note, with multiple penalty shouts being turned down. The Catalan giants eventually scraped through, drawing 1-1 on aggregate and progressing on the away goal rule.
Guus Hiddink was in charge of the Blues during that period. He recently admitted he had conspiracy theories as refereeing blunders marred the second leg in London.
The Premier League giants were the winners in the first leg as they held a rampant Barcelona side to a goalless draw at Camp Nou. They appeared set to progress into the final of the tournament after drawing first blood. Michael Essien struck in the first half of the second leg at Stamford.
This match still makes Chelsea fans' blood boil
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The Blues had the opportunity to increase their lead as the game went on. However, referee Tom Henning Ovrebo turned down several penalty appeals from them. Eventually, Andres Iniesta scored a long-range effort in the dying minutes which sent Barcelona into the final on away goal rule.
Hiddink admits he started having weird feelings after the match. He felt that the outcome could've been fixed to avoid Chelsea facing Manchester United in the final for the second straight year.
Hiddink told FourFourTwo:
"That was a huge disappointment. We had held a really good Barca team to a 0-0 draw away, then took the lead at home and had chances to score more, but didn't. We also had a few penalty appeals for obvious handballs, but the referee waved them off. Some people argued it was fixed. While deep down I don't believe that, perhaps it was the only time I started to doubt it."
On this day in 2009, Andres Iniesta with the legendary goal for Barcelona vs. Chelsea in the Champions League. Iniestazo at Stamford Bridge. https://t.co/f7lzG5hpy1
He added:
"Chelsea and Manchester United had played in the final the year before, and with the Premier League's dominance, I started to have a few conspiracy theories, such as UEFA looking to avoid the same two teams reaching the final again."
How did Barcelona and Chelsea end the 2008-09 season?
After seeing off the Blues, Barcelona met Manchester United in the final of the tournament, who they beat 2-0 to claim the European crown. They went on to win every other competition they participated in, which saw them claim a historic sextuple.
The Blues, meanwhile, finished third in the Premier League that season. They, however, ensured they ended the campaign with a trophy, beating Everton 2-1 in the final of the FA Cup on May 30, 2009.