Drogba headed towards match referee Tom Henning Ovrebo in rage, following the 1-1 semi-finals draw at Stamford Bridge.

The Ivory Coast ace was angry with Ovrebo's decision not to award the Blues a penalty kick before Andres Iniesta's late killer.

Eto'o excused Drogba for his tantrum as he hinted that the latter's misfiring might have influenced his attitude.

"If we had lost, we would be talking about the penalty which weren’t awarded to us [in the first leg]," Eto'o said at a press conference.

"The referee played his part and I don’t think he intended to annoy us. But when things go well for one team, it tends to go badly for the other. It’s necessary to accept that.

"There’s frustration at Chelsea and it’s a normal reaction, especially when a game slips away like that because you have not been able to finish it off. They had chances to kill off the game, but it was not his [Drogba] day.

"I understand him because these things can happen. As one of the more important players, he just wanted to make his voice heard. I understand his frustration and it was nothing more than that."

Meanwhile, Drogba is facing a serious ban by UEFA, who said they will examine the referee's match report and make a decision next week.

The 31-year-old striker, who was booked by Ovrebo after the match, could be sanctioned for his clear verbal abuse.

Watch Drogba's rage against Ovrebo