Drogba spot on as Blues reign over Europe
Source: Agencies |
May 21, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FROM hero to villain, to man of the match.
Didier Drogba went through the full range of emotions on a night when he delivered the first UEFA Champions League title to Chelsea, in perhaps his last match for the London club.
Drogba's dramatic, perfect header in the 88th minute against Bayern Munich leveled the final at 1-1 anwd sent it into extra time. It was his 34th Champions League goal and perhaps the most memorable.
He then gave away a needless extra-time penalty that was saved by Petr Cech from Arjen Robben, before driving home the final spot-kick in the shootout that clinched the title.
Drogba ran to the side and threw himself onto the ground, to be buried for minutes under a frenzied pile of his blue-shirted teammates.
He then took off his shirt and ran to the opposite side of Bayern's Allianz Arena, prancing in front of the jubilant supporters. And then, he held Cech in a long embrace, thanking the Chelsea goalkeeper for saving his - and Chelsea's - night with his save of Robben's penalty.
"When we have this guy in goal you have to believe," said Drogba. "I wanted to score the penalty for him, he is the best goalkeeper in the world and his saves today and before got us here.
"It was written, I think, a long time ago. I want to dedicate this cup to all the managers we've had before, all the players I've played with before."
Drogba was on his knee, praying in the middle circle as Bastian Schweinsteiger walked to the spot to take his team's last penalty. Schweinsteiger hit the post with his low shot and Drogba then stepped up for the decisive effort.
Facing the hostile Bayern crowd and Manuel Neuer, the Bayern goalkeeper who had already saved Juan Mata's first shot, Drogba looked calm.
He took a short run-up and drove the ball inside the right post while sending Neuer the wrong way.
And Chelsea had the title it had been trying to win ever since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.
Chelsea's quest had looked hopeless for much of the game, and certainly after Thomas Mueller broke dogged resistance with a header past Cech in the 83rd minute.
Drogba's shootout winner also exorcised the striker's demons from Chelsea's 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United in Moscow.
"We didn't play fantastic but the main man Didier dug us out of trouble there," said Frank Lampard, who was Chelsea's captain for the suspended John Terry.
Drogba's contract expires this summer - and he has been linked with Shanghai Shenhua - but Lampard said he would love him to stay.
As if on cue, Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck said yesterday that the club will hold talks with Drogba about a new contract next week. The 34-year-old Ivory Coast international joined the west London club from Marseille in 2004.
Didier Drogba went through the full range of emotions on a night when he delivered the first UEFA Champions League title to Chelsea, in perhaps his last match for the London club.
Drogba's dramatic, perfect header in the 88th minute against Bayern Munich leveled the final at 1-1 anwd sent it into extra time. It was his 34th Champions League goal and perhaps the most memorable.
He then gave away a needless extra-time penalty that was saved by Petr Cech from Arjen Robben, before driving home the final spot-kick in the shootout that clinched the title.
Drogba ran to the side and threw himself onto the ground, to be buried for minutes under a frenzied pile of his blue-shirted teammates.
He then took off his shirt and ran to the opposite side of Bayern's Allianz Arena, prancing in front of the jubilant supporters. And then, he held Cech in a long embrace, thanking the Chelsea goalkeeper for saving his - and Chelsea's - night with his save of Robben's penalty.
"When we have this guy in goal you have to believe," said Drogba. "I wanted to score the penalty for him, he is the best goalkeeper in the world and his saves today and before got us here.
"It was written, I think, a long time ago. I want to dedicate this cup to all the managers we've had before, all the players I've played with before."
Drogba was on his knee, praying in the middle circle as Bastian Schweinsteiger walked to the spot to take his team's last penalty. Schweinsteiger hit the post with his low shot and Drogba then stepped up for the decisive effort.
Facing the hostile Bayern crowd and Manuel Neuer, the Bayern goalkeeper who had already saved Juan Mata's first shot, Drogba looked calm.
He took a short run-up and drove the ball inside the right post while sending Neuer the wrong way.
And Chelsea had the title it had been trying to win ever since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.
Chelsea's quest had looked hopeless for much of the game, and certainly after Thomas Mueller broke dogged resistance with a header past Cech in the 83rd minute.
Drogba's shootout winner also exorcised the striker's demons from Chelsea's 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United in Moscow.
"We didn't play fantastic but the main man Didier dug us out of trouble there," said Frank Lampard, who was Chelsea's captain for the suspended John Terry.
Drogba's contract expires this summer - and he has been linked with Shanghai Shenhua - but Lampard said he would love him to stay.
As if on cue, Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck said yesterday that the club will hold talks with Drogba about a new contract next week. The 34-year-old Ivory Coast international joined the west London club from Marseille in 2004.
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