No strike threat, says refereeing boss

Europe's refereeing chief defended the right to strike yesterday but said there were no immediate plans to disrupt matches after the retirement of Anders Frisk because of death threats to him and his family.

"I'm not going to call a strike today," Volker Roth, chairman of UEFA's referees' committee, said.

"Strikes in public life are legitimate but they are usually used only as a last resort. I brought this into the discussion as a way of showing how fed up referees are."

Frisk, one of the world's most respected and best known referees, announced on Friday he was retiring after threats received following Chelsea's 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League.

Roth confirmed the view of UEFA that there was little chance of persuading Frisk to go back on his decision.

"I've been in contact with Anders yesterday and today via e-mail and I absolutely cannot imagine that he will come back," Roth said.

Roth added the decline of sportsmanship among players and coaches had contributed to Frisk's resignation.

"I sometimes feel like I'm the last idiot reminding people about Fair Play," Roth said.

"I want to remind people that football is a wonderful game that is not just about making money."

Roth has been condemned by Chelsea for his description of Mourinho as an "enemy of football" in an interview. Yesterday, Roth shrugged off reports that Mourinho was threatening legal action against those comments.

"I have read about this," Roth said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what the complaint is."