Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says his players “don’t want to annoy themselves and make more noise” by organising pre-match in the centre circle.
It follows an unusual scene before Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat by Newcastle when referee Paul Tierney stood near the ball before kick-off but did not move away as Chelsea players gathered around him for captain Reece James to speak for his team.
Rosenior says there has been no decision yet on where he will line up for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain but is expected to change his position from the centre circle.
It is understood that officials warned Chelsea not to gather around the ball before kick-off because of the risk of mass confrontation when rivals are about to start the match.
After the Newcastle match, Rosenior said that Tierney should “concentrate on his job” and said he would speak to his bosses at PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Ltd), insisting that his players “respect the ball”.
Speaking on Monday, Rosenior said the discussion about the uproar had been “inflated out of proportion” and was a “distraction for the media”.
“The boys have always wanted to show unity and solidarity: the boys will continue to do that,” he said ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 match against Paris Saint-Germain.
“We would rather not fight among ourselves and create noise. We will decide tomorrow where we will do it.”
Rosenior said he has not yet spoken to PGMOL but is scheduled to meet with him in person this week.
He said, “What I was saying after the game was not about the uproar. It was about my perspective on some of the decisions taken in the game. It would be wonderful to meet him and have an in-depth conversation with him.”
The foul was the brainchild of now-injured captain Reece James, rather than Rosenior, who explained his purpose by saying, “I think it’s the best way I can get a message across to them.”
Chelsea need to bounce back from a 5-2 defeat on Tuesday night after a late defeat to PSG in the first leg at the Parc des Princes.
Speaking about the issue, PSG boss Luis Enrique said, “I was surprised when I saw it. But I heard Liam talking about it with maturity.
“We can look at different things, but if there is respect from the Chelsea players and staff, then there is no problem.”
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told BBC Sport after witnessing the incident on Saturday that he had never seen anything strange “in 50 years of watching football”.
He was also able to shed some light on the incident, saying, “Since it was Newcastle’s kick-off, the referee [took] was there to control the ball at the halfway line and prevent any potential problems.
“When it is their kick-off, there is no particular issue. However, when their opponents are to kick off, there is a possibility of a collision.”
