Soccer-UEFA should accept Drogba apology, says Hiddink

By Martyn Herman

LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - Didier Drogba should not be punished for his behaviour at the end of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said on Sunday.

Chelsea's Ivorian striker went berserk after the 1-1 second-leg draw which knocked Chelsea out, screaming at a television camera, and could face the wrath of UEFA's disciplinary panel.

Drogba apologised for haranguing Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo and his foul-mouthed rant at the pitchside camera.

"We don't know what's going to happen regarding that but I cannot imagine that people who are in charge at UEFA, if they are football people and not beuracratic authorites, will not perfectly understand that the apology of his was Okay," Hiddink told reporters after his side won 4-1 at Arsenal on Sunday.

"I don't expect much from that, it would be curious I think."

Earlier on Sunday, UEFA's general secretary David Taylor said Drogba's behaviour had not been a pleasant sight and that it flew in the face of the respect campaigns championed by UEFA and the English FA.

UEFA appear in no rush to hand out punishments to Drogba with Taylor saying the ruling body would collect all the evidence first.

"We expect to take action in terms of instigating some disciplinary proceedings but as to the nature and extent of that, we have to collect all the evidence first before we decide on what that is," Taylor told BBC Radio Five.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ed Osmond; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)