Norwegian referee Terje Hauge has gone into an early offensive before the UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and FC Barcelona on Wednesday, 23 February at Stamford Bridge and is willing to face up to any criticism he may have to contend with.

If the manager has any criticism of my performance I want him to say it to my face," Hauge told newspaper The Sun and added: "I want Mourinho to talk to me after the game before going to his press conference. It is all about respect and fair play. We are in the same business and we will meet each other again.

Referee Terje Haug was deeply hurt when his good friend, Swedish referee Anders Frisk quit the game after receiving death threats. Hauge believes his friend Frisk was one of the best referees around:

I know Anders well. It is a shame he is not a referee any more because he was one of the best.” He added: "Of course I was thinking about what happened to Anders Frisk when it became clear that I would be the referee in this match. I know this is a match with history, but before I blow the whistle it is a blank piece of paper.