All Worth It.

[Shane 2,275]

When Napoli went 3-1 up in the first leg of the round of 16, everyone wrote us off. Before a ball was kicked against Barcelona, everyone wrote us off. When John Terry got sent off in the Nou Camp, everyone wrote us off. When Andres Inestia made it 2-0 on the night, not only did people write us off, apparently bookies were offering 40/1 for us to go through. When Thomas Muller put Bayern ahead in the 83rd minute, everyone wrote us off. When the referee pointed to the spot in the 3rd minute of extra time, guess what? Everyone wrote us off.

There are people who believed. For the most part, I believed. I most admit, when Muller put Bayern 1-0 up I thought it was over. Drogba's goal just showed me why I fell in love with this club. Everyone wrote us off, but people like Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill and Didier Drogba never gave up. I choose those four because, for me along with Ramires who was suspended, have been our best outfield players in the Champions League this season.

What can you say? The moment I have been waiting for all my life finally came on the 19th of May, 2012. I'll never forget that date. The passion showed by the men in blue was heroic. It truely was the stuff of legends. Every possible obstacle was thrown in their way, and they survived.

On the match itself, It was what I expected. Bayern went out to attack, as you would expect in front of their home fans, and they did, but they struggled to break down a organised and disciplined Chelsea defence. They tried to utilize the space by pushing Lahm and Contento forward, while Schweinsteiger and Kroos tried to dictate the game, But that was stopped excellently by Lampard and Mikel. Bayern’s main threat was thought to come from Ribery, Robben and Gomez. Ribery looked dangerous, and he knew Bosingwa was there for the taking. Robben, on the other hand, had a nightmare. Ashley Cole ended the argument on who the best left back in the world is on Saturday night. Its not even an argument anymore, He is head and shoulders above the rest. Robben was forced to cut inside and shoot from distance, where he got no joy. In my opinion it affected his confidence when he stepped up to the penalty spot in extra time.

While being pinned back, Chelsea did have two opportunities in the first half. The first being a quick counter attack, with a good passing sequence, Drogba being the key, set up Saloman Kalou who had hit it from the corner of the box with the outside of his foot, Neuer saved but it could have easily crept under him. The second came from another counter attack, which led to a free kick, which Mata hit harmlessly over the bar. Worth noting is Mario Gomez blowing a few chances for Bayern, cheers Mario.

The second half was similar to the first, but with Bayern breaking the deadlock when a cross to the back post reached Muller, who was the luckiest man in Munich as his header somehow bounced into the ground and over Cech. Chelsea responded by bringing on Fernando Torres, who won a corner, which Mata took, and Drogba met to blast a sensational header past Neuer to bring Chelsea level. Worthing noting is Mario Gomez blowing a few chances for Bayern, cheers Mario.

Drogba have away a penalty at the start of extra time, and as Ribery had to get treatment and eventually came off, There was a wait before the penalty was taken. During this wait, John Obi Mikel told Arjen Robben his prediction for the outcome of the penalty. Cech saved, and Robben’s horrible night continued. The only other chance worth noting in extra time is when Olic squared for Daniel Van Buyten who showed the world why he isn’t a centre forward, when he displayed his dead cat like reflexes, not being able to run onto a ball that was a yard infront of him.

Penalties occurred, and Drogba wrote his name forever into Chelsea history. The celebrations after were crazy. Before I type this I have to say, When Muller scored, I thought it was over, and when Ribery went down, I thought it was over, But I knew that Schweinsteiger would miss. I don’t know why, I just knew. I didn’t even celebrate when he missed, I stood up, walked out of the room, with my hands over my face, watched through a glass pane in the door of my living room. Drogba converted, and I ran around my house screaming yes. My mother thought my reaction to Torres goal against Barcelona was over the top, she wasn’t impressed to see me with my top off crying on the kitchen floor (I have no idea how I ended up there either).

Frank Lampard summed it up perfectly, Looking back on it all, the heartache we as fans experienced in the Champions League, it was all worth it. I’m even getting abit emotional writing this, but Moscow, Barcelona in 2009 and Garcia’s ghost goal were all worth it. You can’t help but to be delighted for Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, John Terry and Didier Drogba, they have given their careers to fight for this. Chelsea’s finest hour.

To Mr. Cup final, we bid farewell. Didier was given us some great memories over the years, and it’s a real shame he isn’t going to play against Arsenal again, what he did to their defence was a thing of beauty. His record speaks for itself, and I hope we, as fans, get to give him the send off he deserves. It was great to hear him say that ‘blue blood goes through his veins’. Chelsea’s greatest signing of the modern era. We wouldn’t have won half of what we did if it wasn’t for him, and those goals at Wembley. As Clive Tyldesley put it, ‘A Didier Drogba goal comes with the ticket’.

For Bosingwa, Kalou and the others who will leave us this summer, The Champions League win will ensure their time at Stamford Bridge is looked back on with positive thoughts. Especially Kalou who had a decent game in Munich.

As for Roberto Di Matteo, What can you say? Roman, if you’re reading this which I doubt you are, give him the job please.

As for Tottenham Hotspur, ‘Arry and Daniel Levy, Did we cost you about £40,000,000? Funny how you wouldn’t sell us Modric last year now isn’t it. Enjoy the Europa League, and poor old ‘Arry, a couple of months ago he was supposed to be leading England into the Euro’s, now Spurs are in a competition that my local team is in. We get an average crowd of around 2,000, and some of our players have part time jobs. Unlucky ‘Arry.

Roll on next season.

[Strike 6,958]

brilliant

( i imagined the whole articled read in your accent)

[zolayes 14,489]

mind scrambled