Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins said that it was the heat of the game that made manager Luiz Felipe Scolari try and influence the referee to send Mohamed Shawky off. Shawky started for Middlesbrough against Chelsea on Wednesday, and the Egyptian was already cautioned when Scolari waved demanding the former Ahli man to be sent off for handling the ball. “It's a very emotional game, isn't it? Passions run high,” Wilkins said after the game. “It's played with great passion on the pitch and off it, whether it is with supporters or managers. "I didn't even see the incident, to be honest. If the referee felt that Scolari needed to be sent to the stands for what he did, he would have done that.” From his side, Boro manager Gareth Southgate said that he was surprised with Scolari's behaviour during the game. “There were words between my assistant and Scolari,” said Southgate. "He seemed to want to get Shawky booked. He didn't shake hands at the end. A strange reaction, but that's his prerogative." The Stamford Bridge encounter ended in a 2-0 win to Chelsea, thanks to second half strikers from Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou.
