Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard can understand Chelsea's antics during the Champions League defeat to PSG this week.
Television pundits Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher - both former Liverpool players - led the criticism of Chelsea for surrounding referee Bjorn Kuipers during Wednesday's Champions League exit against Paris St Germain.
Former Liverpool captain Gerrard told BBC Sport: "I think it's normal when you play games at that level. Players want to win so much.
"You've got managers who want to win so much, players will try every trick in the book to get over the line and try and win football matches.
"Sometimes it doesn't look nice, but we've all been guilty of it throughout our careers, of not always abiding by the rules. Football's not always going to look nice."
The French side progressed to the quarter-finals on away goals despite having Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off and Gerrard added: "PSG were the better team and good luck to them."