They have effectively come out and accused Jose of lying about events in the Now Camp.
What will Chelsea say?
They have effectively come out and accused Jose of lying about events in the Now Camp.
The game of brinkmanship is coming to an end and Chelsea have to decide either put up or shut up and apologise.
If they have evidence that Frank Rijkaard had, under UEFA rules, an illegal meeting with ref Anders Frisk then they should be bullish and demand a personal hearing and slap the evidence folder on the desk and walk away.
If they have bitten off more than they can chew and know they are lied, then they are in big doo doo.
Chelsea may have backed themselves into a corner on this one.
They might simply refuse to co-operate further and see what the punishment will be and then act on that.
I suspect that may be their response to the charge.
What is happening now in Nyon, head of UEFA is a political game and a power struggle unheard of before.
UEFA have being forced to act in order to establish their God given right to govern the European game - they also know that the top clubs in Europe, the G14 (of which Chelsea were refused membership last week) are the real power brokers and could if they so wished break away from UEFA altogether and form their own league and take with them TV revenue, vital to UEFA's survival.
UEFA and FIFA are in their own political battle so FIFA would take a neutral stance on the whole issue - they would do little to support UEFA.
Chelsea as the richest club in the world are seen as the target for UEFA to beat any potential dissidents - if they can break Chelsea they can control anybody.
But Chelsea are not playing ball and so we see this battle developing.
The new kids on the block threatening the old controlling regime.
It's a scenario fully understood by Roman Abramovich and the club's policy of trying to break UEFA is fully endorsed by him, I'm sure.
It should be an interesting couple of weeks.
If they have evidence that Frank Rijkaard had, under UEFA rules, an illegal meeting with ref Anders Frisk then they should be bullish and demand a personal hearing and slap the evidence folder on the desk and walk away.
If they have bitten off more than they can chew and know they are lied, then they are in big doo doo.
Chelsea may have backed themselves into a corner on this one.
They might simply refuse to co-operate further and see what the punishment will be and then act on that.
I suspect that may be their response to the charge.
What is happening now in Nyon, head of UEFA is a political game and a power struggle unheard of before.
UEFA have being forced to act in order to establish their God given right to govern the European game - they also know that the top clubs in Europe, the G14 (of which Chelsea were refused membership last week) are the real power brokers and could if they so wished break away from UEFA altogether and form their own league and take with them TV revenue, vital to UEFA's survival.
UEFA and FIFA are in their own political battle so FIFA would take a neutral stance on the whole issue - they would do little to support UEFA.
Chelsea as the richest club in the world are seen as the target for UEFA to beat any potential dissidents - if they can break Chelsea they can control anybody.
But Chelsea are not playing ball and so we see this battle developing.
The new kids on the block threatening the old controlling regime.
It's a scenario fully understood by Roman Abramovich and the club's policy of trying to break UEFA is fully endorsed by him, I'm sure.
It should be an interesting couple of weeks.