UEFA to charge Essien

Last updated : 14 December 2005 By Paul Lagan
Uefa's disciplinary panel is set to impose a ban on Chelsea's Michael Essien at a hearing on Thursday, suggests the BBC.

Essien was charged with gross unsporting conduct for a tackle on Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann in the Champions League clash.

He is expected to get a one or two-game suspension after the hearing in Nyon.

Essien has since apologied to Hamann for the challenge in the goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.

"Michael has spoken to Dietmar by telephone," said a Chelsea spokesman.

"He apologised to Dietmar, assured him the tackle was accidental and that there was no malicious intent."

Essien, 23, caught Hamann just below the knee but was missed by the referee.

Hamann had earlier been critical of Essien for not apologising.

"Nobody from Chelsea has said anything to me and Essien hasn't apologised or anything like that," said Hamann.

The German midfielder said the tackle was the "worst I have suffered in my career" and questioned how Essien escaped punishment from the referee.

Hamann said: "The referee blew the whistle for something else just a second beforehand but with four officials around the pitch these days, did nobody see what happened?

"I thought they were trying to stop things like that happening in the game.

"But it's finished as far as I'm concerned. It's not for me to say whether it was a booking or a red card, for me it's finished."

Essien has already courted controversy earlier this season, when he was booked for a similar tackle on Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim.

Referee Rob Styles wanted to turn that into a red card after reviewing footage - but Fifa stepped in to prevent any retrospective punishment.