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Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has rejected suggestions he is a dirty player following last week's horror tackle on Dietmar Hamann.
The former Lyon has since been charged with gross unsporting conduct by UEFA, and the challenge on Liverpool's Hamann recalls an earlier incident involving Ben Haim of Bolton.
But he has hit out at his critics, insisting he plays hard and fair: “I'm not a violent player. I was not trying to injure Hamann and the referee understood that. "
That is why he didn't punish me. It was a lunge for the ball, it wasn't a deliberate attempt to get the player.
“I'm not someone who tries to break people's legs but football is a man's game, played with power and force — it's not ballet.
"There are always tough challenges on the pitch but the worst ones are usually the result of bad luck more than anything else.
“A lot of people who don't know me are thinking I'm some sort of savage on the pitch. That hurts more than the sanction. "I have to accept UEFA's decision but it is unjust.”
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