Chelsea have modified their pre-match huddle ahead of their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain, moving it away from the centre circle after a weekend incident involving referee Paul Tierney.
The Blues had conducted their pre-match talk in the centre of the pitch on Saturday, leaving Tierney stuck inside the group. The ritual drew criticism, but manager Liam Rosenior defended his players' actions.
Before the kick-off against PSG, the huddle took place slightly off centre and inside the French side's half, no longer gathered around the match ball as before. Rosenior reiterated that the gesture was about unity, not intimidation.
“I think it’s been blown out of proportion,” Rosenior said. “It’s a small thing amongst many serious things that we need to address, such as the massive game against PSG.”
The Chelsea manager added that the players have always wanted to show togetherness, but stressed they do not want to antagonise or create unnecessary distractions.
