After a memorable night at Stamford Bridge on which Chelsea and Liverpool scored eight goals in a game that could have gone either way until the 90th minute, the reaction of Rafael Benitez towards Guus Hiddink as the two left the arena was remarkable.

Although Benitez' words could not be heard, it was clear that - judging from Hiddink's angry face afterwards - what he said to the Dutch coach wasn't very nice.

Asked just what Benitez said to Hiddink the Dutch interim-coach was still not amused by Benitez' demeanor.

"He said to me that it was all the fault of the referee. In my opinion that was a bit too much. I can understand his frustration at going out this was, but you shouldn't go blame the referee at such a moment. Being emotional is okay during the game. But after the final whistle there is no place for such a stance. I believe both teams made a lot of mistakes."

Hiddink admitted that his heartbeat had been up to a rate of 180 at times during the match and that he had used some harsh language during the interval to try and get his team back on track after a poor first half.

"Contrary to our game plan the players were too reluctant and cautious. They sat back way too far," Hiddink said.

"So I got pretty furious during the break and made some minor tactical changes. It's not that I shouted at them for the full fifteen minutes. We just put them on their marks again. I know this team can react and they did."

"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football