Didier Drogba has revealed that he apologised for his outburst after Chelsea's Champions League semi-final defeat by Barcelona last season because his son was embarrassed by him.

The Ivory Coast striker was seen berating the referee before swearing in to a television camera as his frustrations at the Blues' late semi final exit spilled out.

While the raw emotion saw him criticised by many, it was his eight-year-old boy's shame that made him realise the effects that his reaction would have on youngsters.

“I don’t always worry about what people think, but on this occasion it was really important to come out and apologise because of kids watching the games,” Drogba told The Times.

“My son was watching with his friends from school and I was embarrassed by my behaviour. The good thing was that Isaac came to me and said, ‘It’s not right what you did, Dad, you should have had more penalties, but it’s not right to do that to referees.’

“I told him never to do what I did. He’s eight and plays for Chelsea Under-nine's, but is very different to me. He’s really calm.

“It was really difficult after the Barcelona game because I made a mistake, but was frustrated that people didn’t understand why I reacted.

"I apologised and everything, but I also wanted to show I’m not the person people think I am. I’m not a bad guy, I just want to win and sometimes I react. The passion drives me."