Rafa Benitez launched an astonishing attack on Austrian referee Konrad Plautz after John Arne Riise's own goal five minutes into injury time cost Liverpool a crucial victory over Chelsea at Anfield.
The Liverpool chief was bristling after Chelsea, who fell behind when Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring, levelled deep into injury time.
With the scores locked at 1-1 from the first leg, it means Liverpool must score at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday for the first time under Benitez's reign.
The furious Liverpool chief said: "It's very difficult to understand because there were 94 or 95 minutes on the clock and I was surprised.
"Of course I am disappointed with the officials' performance. It is not the first time this has happened to us and we are really disappointed.
"We can't blame the referee for the own goal at the end, but we can for the time. It was one minute in the first half and then four minutes in the second. It's difficult to explain."
Liverpool were worthy of their slender lead, but Chelsea's crucial away goal means a 0-0 draw at home next week will be enough to take them to their first Champions League final.
Manchester United or Barcelona will be waiting in Moscow for the winners of this tie, but the momentum is with Chelsea after their dramatic equaliser.
Chelsea chief Avram Grant said: "This is a giant step. We have conceded a lot of goals in the last few minutes of games and we deserved to score one eventually. To draw 1-1 is always an advantage and the goal from Riise has given us a big advantage.
"It is an important goal. To score like that made us very happy, but there is another game yet. Still, it is a great result.
"Roman Abramovich was not at the game, but he will be happy. He would be happy even if the final was played in Mongolia."
Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Anfiel is the most important of Grant's career, but they have Petr Cech to thank for still being in the tie.
He denied Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard's brilliant second half effort as Chelsea withstood constant pressure from the five time winners of the competition.
They appeared to have one foot in the final when Kuyt scored before the break, but Chelsea are on course for their first final after Cech's superb performance.
Frank Lampard, who returned to the Chelsea team for the first time since his mother Pam fell ill, said: "Big Petr is the best goalkeeper in the world and he showed it. He is unlucky with injuries, but he keeps coming back even better and he showed it again. He was fantastic.
"We had chances and we should have had a penalty. Didier said it was, but hopefully if something similar happens at Stamford Bridge it will be given."
Chelsea claim they should have had a penalty when Jamie Carragher collided with Didier Drobga on the edge of the area, but it was clearly outside the area.
Cech added: "We have been unlicky in semi-finals before, but we had a chance in this one and we took it."
Liverpool have never scored at Stamford Bridge under Rafa Benitez - a run that stretches back eight games and includes four Barclays Premier League matches, three European Cup ties and last December's Carling Cup quarter-final defeat.
Benitez added: "We will change that statistic on Wednesday. We had three clear chances and we needed to take them. The body language of the players was very clear.
"If you concede a goal like that, of course we are disappointed but we have enough confidence in ourselves. We need to change our mindset and start thinking positively."
Liverpool face Birmingham in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday and Benitez is likely to rest his entire first team in preparation for the second leg.
Chelsea host league leaders Manchester United in a lunch-time kick off and there is little doubt that Grant's side are suddenly in the ascendency.
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Rafa lets rip at referee... again
Rafa lets rip at referee... again -
04-23-2008, 11:30 AM
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