John Terry's blame game

Chelsea captain John Terry has hit out at the standard of refereeing in the Champions League in the wake of his side's elimination from the competition at the hands of Inter Milan.

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John Terry was infuriated by the performance of referee Wolfgang Stark

Terry runs the risk of a UEFA punishment after claiming "bad refereeing'' cost his side dear in the defeat against the Italian champions.

Chelsea had two strong penalty appeals turned down by referee Wolfgang Stark during Tuesday's loss at Stamford Bridge, while ill-feeling remains over the four penalty appeals famously turned down by Tom Henning Ovrebo in the Blues' semi-final exit against Barcelona last season.

And Terry has called on his club to take up the matter with European football's governing body.

"It was a bad performance by us but a really bad performance from the referee,'' Terry said of Tuesday's 1-0 loss, which sealed a 3-1 aggregate defeat. "It is not good enough at this stage of the competition. We were at home and we didn't get one decision.

"We do our best to get ourselves in this position and for two years running we get let down by bad refereeing. We need someone at the club to take it up with UEFA.''

"I'm not going to say the word conspiracy. But I'm so frustrated by what happened. Florent Malouda got fouled inside the box in the first half and the referee waved play on. Didier Drogba gets manhandled and if the referee misses it, we have the linesman.''

Terry claimed Stark was unwilling to talk with him during Tuesday's game, and accused the official of showing "disrespect''.

"When a decision didn't go our way I, as captain, went to speak to the German referee and he turned his back on me,'' Terry said.

"I wasn't shouting. I went to try to talk to him and when he wouldn't talk that is when I got frustrated. That is just pure disrespect. If I get myself in trouble, then so be it. I owe it to our fans to speak out.''

Blues assistant boss Ray Wilkins confirmed owner Roman Abramovich had met with the players following the defeat to Inter, but insisted that contrary to reports, it was a civilised and "positive'' meeting.

Wilkins told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme: "It was a very positive meeting that the players have had with Roman so from that aspect he just added his support to the situation.

"We were delighted to see him, he's always extremely involved in the club. He owns the club and wants to have a big input into what happens. So whenever he is down it is a positive as far as we're concerned.

"He's very close to the players, he knows the way they work so therefore he wanted to have a little input with them during the week. It was nothing dramatic, it was all pretty low-key stuff so we just get on with the business now.''

It has been reported Abramovich will now embark on a major overhaul of the playing staff. Wilkins accepted changes were likely this summer, but said that was a normal occurrence at any big club.

"Seasons pass on, people are brought in and people leave the club and that's the way football is,'' he said. "We're no different to any other football club.

"We want to improve, we want to go forward and if it means a few players go along the way and a few come in that is just the way football is run. Whenever a top-quality player becomes available, a top club like ours will always be involved in the process.''