Champions League final countdown and reaction – Live

Posted Friday, 18 May 2012 at 3:06pm. Last updated Sunday, 20 May 2012 at 8:35pm.

Here we go. Join us as we countdown to the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea at Bayern’s Allianz Arena.

As I type Chelsea FC Blog’s very own Jonathan, Donal (aka Blue Bayou) and Mark are making their way to Germany in all manner of planes, trains and automobiles and will be posting photos of their journeys and experiences here, technology permitting. If you’re also travelling to Munich and would like to share a photo or two, send them to this email address.

In the meantime why not listen to the Champions League Special episode of the Podding Shed and our Now That’s What I Call Munich! Vol 1 Spotify playlist. While you’re at it read Mark’s and a whole host of other Chelsea bloggers’ verdict on the final on the Sun’s website.

Allianz Arena, Munich, from cab

4:20pm: Jonathan’s arrived in Munich.

“From the cab. Now seriously excited. Bring it on…”

Saturday 12:22am: Good news. Robbie Di Matteo confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Gary Cahill and David Luiz trained all week:

“Cahill and David Luiz trained the whole week so we are very hopeful, and Malouda will join the group today. We brought two players from the B list just in case, Nathaniel Chalobah and Todd Kane.

“I will wait until the last session tonight to see and reassess all my players. Then tonight I will make my final decisions about the team selection.”

A couple of newspapers are reporting that Di Matteo will start Ryan Bertrand and Ashley Cole in an effort to nullify the threat posed by Philipp Lahm and Arjen Robben down Bayern’s right. Could work.

Bitburger beer

12:58am: Looks like Jonathan’s enjoying himself.

“Another one for the road…”

News of Mark’s whereabouts has arrived via the comments…

6:03am:On the way to Heathrow, not sighted any Germans yet.

6:49am:At Heathrow, plenty of blue shirts.

7:57am:On plane to Dusseldorf.

And Donal’s via Twitter…

7:14am:Arrived on sleeper from Cologne 7.10am. Saw 1 very pissed Chelsea fan on steps of Cologne Cathedral last night c/w flag. A bright morning.

And a tweet from Jonathan…

7:57am:Good morning Chelsea fans – happy Champions League final day… Sun is out in Munich – going to be a great day!

9:36am: More from Mark…

In Dusseldorf, where’s the stadium?

Marienplatz, Munich

10:00am: And a photo from Jonathan…

“Marienplatz, Munich.”

10:07am: Dan Levene of the Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle on Twitter…

Chatting to a Bayern fan who has just bought a match ticket at the airport for €2000. TWO THOUSAND EUROS. He is sweating a bit.

10:15am: Nice interview with Juan Mata in the Guardian.

Breakfast of champions

10:20am: Breakfast in Munich…

“Weisswurst, sweet mustard, pretzel and beer – the breakfast of champions!”

Reminds me of something Robert De Niro’s character Joseph Megessey said in Jacknife:

“Take one sip of breakfast beer and the cobwebs go, your voice rises two octaves, and hey, man, the sun comes up inside you.”

Beer for breakfast it is then. I need something to calm my nerves.

11:00am: Tony’s latest post for the official Chelsea FC website blog.

Final descent to Munich

11:12am: Mark makes the final descent to Munich…

Now in Munich.

Nothing more from Donal yet. He probably got sidetracked by a train.

11:22am: Tweet from Donal…

A lie down in the Englischer Garden before lunch. Avoiding the Nudist Meadow.

11:30am: Another photo from Mark…

Small Allianz Arena

“Allianz Arena. Smaller than I was expecting.”

12:15pm: A few statistics from the BBC Football website that support my forecast that we will prevail…

– The last time the sides met, in 2005 quarter-finals, Chelsea won 6-5 on aggregate.

– Bayern have won one and lost two of three previous finals against English clubs.

– This is the sixth European Cup final between German and English teams – only once previously did the Bundesliga side prevail.

Um, oh…

“An unsophisticated forecaster uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts – for support rather than for illumination.” – Andrew Lang

Lager, lager, lager...

12:21pm: Talking of drunken men…

“OK, I know there is a theme developing…”

3:20pm: Raphael Honigstein shows off his home town of Munich on CNN.

3:42pm: Donal on Twitter…

A fine lunch and the beer is flowing. I may well be watching 2 games.

3:45pm: A couple of quotations…

“The ball is round. The game lasts ninety minutes. Everything else is theory.” – Sepp Herberger

“In football everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

3:50pm: And two more photos from Jonathan…

Marienplatz - Bayern central!

“Marienplatz – Bayern central!”

Augustiner am Dom - Chelsea enclave...

“Augustiner am Dom – Chelsea enclave…”

5:57pm: A photo from Jonathan from Frotmanning U-Bahn station…

“Outnumbered, but not outgunned – Bayern fans are terrified by Drogba.”

And a tweet… “Nearly at the ground. Nerves off the scale. See you all on the other side…

Frotmanning U-Bahn station and Allianz Arena

6:36pm: Chelsea team…

(4-2-3-1) Cech; Bosingwa, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Lampard (c); Kalou, Mata, Bertrand; Drogba.

Bayern team…

(4-2-3-1) Neuer; Lahm, Tymoshchuk, Boateng, Contento; Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Robben, Müller, Ribery; Gomez.

7:00pm: Right. That’s it from me for now. I’ll leave you with this…

Europe – The Final Countdown.

Sorry. I’ve imbibed quite a lot of wine.

See you all on the other side.

Sunday 12:50am: Inebriated and deliriously happy.

Saturday, 19 May 2012 was one of the best days of my life.

What a feeling!

(Where would we be without cheesy 1980s pop music.)

To bed.

Good night all.

11:30am: Ow. I have a headache. And wow. Champions of Europe. Incredible. It still hasn’t sunk in.

A few tweets and comments from earlier this morning…

Mark in the comments…

Based on my experience of the train to and from the stadium and Bayern’s penalty taking German efficiency is a myth. If you drive a German car I implore you to go and check the tightness of all nuts and bolts immediately.

Jonathan on Twitter…

What an incredible night. Germans beaten. On penalties. In Germany. To win the European Cup. Who writes this stuff?

Sky Sports News on Twitter…

Chelsea intend to appoint permanent manager before pre-season tour of America & contract talks with Didier Drogba will begin this week.

Sunday Telegraph front page, 20 May 2012

Peter Watts on Twitter…

Best cover pic goes to Sunday Telegraph.

12:01pm: Listen to the last three minutes of BBC Radio 5 live’s coverage of the penalty shoot-out. So good.

4:05pm: To quote the inimitable Withnail, I feel unusual. There’s only one thing for it, I’m going to crack open another bottle of wine and watch the victory parade on Chelsea TV. Tony’s there, on the King’s Road, he’s posting some photos on Twitter. I will post the best of them here later.

8:20pm: Two photos of the victory parade from Tony

Chelsea victory parade, King's Road, 20 May 2012

Chelsea victory parade, King's Road, 20 May 2012

8:35pm: I think that’s it from me. It’s been emotional to say the least. Many thanks to Jonathan, Mark, Donal and Tony for their photos, tweets and comments. They made a wonderful day in Chelsea Football Club’s history even more memorable. I’m off to listen to What a Feeling by Irene Cara one more time (OK, maybe two or three – I’m quite drunk again).

What a season.




There are 125 comments

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  1. GrocerJack

    I’ll start then.

    Basically I’m already in meltdown nerves wise. Can’t wait for this season to be over and have a decent break.

    • Cunningplan

      Ditto… and I’m meant to be the calm optimist on the blog. I’m sure I’ll be a lot calmer once the game has started, well I hope I will be.

  2. Blueboydave

    Come now chaps, those of us left behind on the Home Front need to do better than this surely?

    I’m reminded of that classic Tony Hancock – Kenneth Williams exchange:

    TH: Where’s that stiff upper lip, man?

    KW: It’s above this loose, flabby chin!

    I will admit to no more than a certain mental distractedness so far – good heavens it’s still 27 hours and 23 minutes till kick off, not that I’m counting or anything you understand……

    • GrocerJack

      You’re obviously made of sterner stuff than us soft shandy drinking southerners. I am now perilously close to the edge and wishing for a BA Baracus solution. That is getting knocked out for 36 hours and waking up when it’s all over. 

      A bottle of vodka would do the trick. 

  3. Cunningplan

    The good omens of the letter B continues, we need a post from BB to make it a hat trick.
    Is Boswinga going to be our hero tomorrow, or is all this total bollocks?

  4. Agh57

    I’m feeling sort of alright at the moment. I’m going to do what I did before the Cup final and try to ignore it until an hour before kick off.

    That said, my mind is prone to a little wandering. I was listening to the Podding Shed (another splendid effort by the way) and Mark said something which made me go to the official website to look up who we are playing after Munich. I’m putting that down to age (with me nearly being 40 and all that) and not nerves.

  5. Austin Solari

    Wifey has kindly agreed to allow me free rein with the telly from 7pm tomorrow (she hates footie but does realise this is a very important game). I haven’t stopped thinking of this all week and at times, have got quite emotional about it all. I waited for 40 years to see them win the League and now another chance to see the ‘Class of Jose’ lift Ole Big Ears.

  6. WorkingClassPost

    I’m one Podding Shed short of a broadcast at the moment – will catchup with #16 asap.

    Whoever suggested driving his Rover over, without tickets, has got me remembering what it’s like to be single, but tomorrow is daughter’s birthday-treat at the London Aquarium, then home (or maybe pub) for the match.

    Lost for words at the mo, but TV in the background has got the Who singing “Who Are You?”

    Go on, guys, show them.

  7. Cunningplan

    Let’s also remind ourselves that our last expedition into a European final was under a Labour government who’s political colours as most us know, are red. Of course this time we are under a Tory led coalition who’s politcal colours are blue, and the new kit also has gold Samsung lettering….. which will be yellow for the day to represent the Lib Dems.
    So as you can see I’m scraping the barrel here for any omens that will lead us to victory, plus a restless nights sleep and up far too early on a Saturday morning is not beneficial for a relaxing day and the match build up.

      • Austin Solari

        As I have been abroad in Holland all week, I have to own up to listening to Talksport :o((  Only station I can get clearly in CloggieLand. They said on there Wednesday that if you hadn’t got your flight ticket yet you was in trouble ……….. the cheapest flight to Munich available at that time was £900!!!!!
        WCP, twas I that was considering driving down without a ticket. The plan I had in mind was to catch the ferry from Harwich yesterday @ 0930 and crack off the 900Kms during the night. Time for a snooze and a beer before the game. It is simply because I think it is going to be such a cracking atmosphere in Munich tonight and I am dead jealous of those that have gone with a ticket. I want to be there when we make history.

  8. limetreebower

    Somewhere to the south east I think. Keep going that way. If you hit Austria you’ve overshot.

    • Cunningplan

      Read it earlier Tony and was going to post the link, but boy oh boy does that sum it up for me.
      Just been to my local Tesco to buy a bottle of bubbly to crack open should we win tonight, and to keep with my worryingly obsessive B thing….. it’s Bollinger!

      • Nick

        Just the one bottle, Clive? I have enough wine (half-price from my local Costcutters – Bollinger’s beyond my means) to drown in. It’s deciding at what point to start drinking it. Midday seems as good a time as any…

        • Cunningplan

          Yes Nick just the one bottle, and if it wasn’t for my B obssesion it would have been a bottle around the £15 mark. And now LTB has mentioned Bertrand… yet another B omen!

  9. Dylbo Baggins

    I thought I had my emotions under control until my lusty pointed out that my foot has been tapping for the last 15 minutes straight. Come on Chelsea!

  10. limetreebower

    Trying to work out why I’m (so far) bizarrely calm about the whole thing. I think part of me doesn’t believe it’s happening. This season of all seasons, how on earth did we end up in CL final?

    I suspect I won’t start pooping bricks until the second half, assuming we’re still in the game at that stage.

    The rumours about Bertrand starting seem entirely appropriate. If Eddie Newton can be part of a CL-winning management team, Bertrand can get a winner’s medal. In fact the whole business is so surreal that you somehow suspect the winner will end up being scored by Kalou (who’ll have been attempting a cross).

    • Dylbo Baggins

      In fact the whole business is so surreal that you somehow suspect the winner will end up being scored by Kalou (who’ll have been attempting a cross).
      Brilliant

      • Dylbo Baggins

        A massive clearance from Cech bouncing over their keeper and into the top left for my winner.

  11. Blueboydave

    Well, if we’re considering tipple of choice I found a [very] large glass of Pinot Grigio gave a nice mellow feeling to proceedings last night, so might be ideal for the build-up and first half this evening.

    To get in Cunningplan’s “B” theme, I’ve been scouring my single malts for when it gets serious and have a Benromach Glenlivet and Brora cask strength bottle lined up to help out.

    Good to read that Tony will be watching the game tonight. 

    Anyone tempted to take his place hiding in the cupboard, with or without Peter Crouch for company, might like to take a radio, or wireless even, with them for this spooky follow up to my comment from yesterday, discovered when scanning the TV/radio listings for today:

    Radio 4, 8p.m. – “Archive Hour: The History of The Stiff Upper Lip”.

    I just hope it inspires you to get back in front of the TV, rather than wander off into the night never to be seen again 😉

  12. Agh57

    I’m torn between the feeling you get just before you get married and the feeling that there is a really great party going on somewhere that I’ve not been invited to. 

    Will head to the gym at 4ish and then turn on the telly when I get back!

  13. GrocerJack

    My wife has bought beer for tonight. Predominantly bottle of Old Speckled Hen at 5.2% which delays the beer kick off time a bit lest I pass out before the game…..now there’s an idea! However, without any prompting for me she also bought me some (CPs B plan strategy aligned here)…….

    …….Bombardier!

  14. Agh57

    I will be drinking “Budwiser” later on. Not my normal tipple but left over from last week.

    Is this “B” thing fate?

    …….(I’ve said too much)

  15. Cunningplan

    Well if we need to take our mind off things before kick off, then this site has lots of choice….
     http://www.bmovies.com/

    • Blueboydave

      “Invasion of the Bee Girls” sounds just what we need to keep the theme going:

      “In the small town of Peckham, California, many men die for excessive effort during sexual intercourse” – sounds like a timely warning for us all. 

      Must be worth 85 minutes of our lives on a day like today.

  16. eismcsquare

    Is there anybody else NOT planning to watch?

    Our recent CL expeditions have changed me from a scientific minded reasonable person to a superstitious one, and my not watching the game seems to have a winning effect.

    Also my doctor has asked me to avoid any situation that can make me scream, curse, shout and jump uncontrollably.

      • eismcsquare

        Yes, I must stay away… and miss (probably) some (or one) of the giants playing their last game for Chelsea?!

        I hate having to make a choice.

  17. Cunningplan

    My Final post before the game, and yet another good omen perhaps. The club rugby equivalent of the CL the Heineken Cup is currently being won by Leinster who play in blue, against Ulster who play in white and red, quite comfortably with minutes left.

    Deep breath guys and girls, and lets hope we’re the ones on cloud nine after the game!

  18. Cunningplan

    Two words…. BELIEVE AND BOLLINGER.
    You can thank me for the research on OMENS tomorrow

    • Austin Solari

      I can just about see the screen cos of the tears …………. I waited 40 years to see us win the League but this feels even better!!!!

  19. dustylancer

    Lol at Mikel grabbing Geoff Shreeves’ mike and the look that Platini had on his face when Chelsea lifted the trophy.

    To all fans, good afternoon, good evening and good night. 🙂

  20. Benjami

    Great night, I do feel sorry for Tottenham for losing their Champions League place.

    Our team deserves it though, we should have won it under TSO, we outplayed Man United and then lost on penalties. The spirit they have shown tonight was stunning!

    Straight through into the group stages woo 😀

    Wait a week, and send a £35m offer in for Modric ;/ Lets give them the whole summer to suffer this time 😛

  21. limetreebower

    Unbelievable.

    Ridiculous.

    Just imagine that you are Ryan Bertrand right now.

    I think I’m having an extended out-of-body bliss experience. It feels like I’ll never suffer from watching football again. Anything that happens after this will be all right now.

    I’ll be somewhere in the throng on Eel Brook Common tomorrow. Haven’t been to a parade since the ’97 one (when I lived more or less next to the East Stand). Who’d have thought back then that Robbie and Eddie would be retracing the route fifteen years later with the Champions League trophy?

    Unbelievable.

  22. limetreebower

    Too buzzed to go to bed. I’m sitting at home with the family all asleep, but I think I’m going to go down to the fridge, get the bottle of champagne I snuck in there this afternoon, and have a few quiet sips, just to prolong the moment.

    From a casual poke around various messageboards it looks as if we’ll be getting a lot of stuff about being the worst/least deserving champions in memory.

    To which one can only say: fair enough. We’ve not been good this year and we were second best in all three knockout rounds and in the final.

    But we’re still champions, every one of us will always remember where we were, and the gold star will go on the shirt forever. Is it really surprising that we honestly don’t mind about anything else?

  23. PJ

    chaps – i’m not a contributor to the blog – but but a long (suffering/surviving) reader of the blog, prob since 2007/08.. all i can say is – its weird being a chelsea fan. literally, no one likes us, but i have never cared.

    Best team in europe!! 

    tomorrow we can discuss RDM/didier etc. Tonight is all about chelsea – and that means boswinga playing like terry butcher (ok im pissed) , ashley cole – HERO!!! 

    awesome. See you at the parade.

  24. GrocerJack

    Guess whos doing the match report?

    @nick:twitter , it may be late.

    I am going to the parade

  25. Agh57

    unbelievable. Tense. Horrible and I had nothing remotely approaching like confidence that we’d win it until Didier stepped up. Still I’ll take it!

  26. Cunningplan

    Yes I’ve seen the comments about the least deserving winners, but fuck the jealous bastards, we are as deserving as those lucky fuckers from Scouseland were in 2005. The win tonight is deserving for the eight years of hurt we’ve suffered, and the times when we were the best team and didn’t win it.
    I’m still buzzing and wide awake like you, this is just an awesome feeling!

  27. Fiftee

    Holy. Fucking. Shit.

    I watched it, in bits, sort of. At my clubs presentation evening, they had a projector and screen set up, but the signal to ITV kept getting lost, so the picture froze at times and disappeared. During penalties, this didn’t help and, for a 31 year old, I felt like I was having a stroke / heart attack at times.

    The Lahm penalty was right in the side netting. So far in fact, that the picture froze and I thought – for a moment – it was wide. And the rest. It’s a blur. I’m sitting here now with a Heineken and my Sky+ recording. I’m not going to remember tomorrow.

    Firstly, the players. Cole – best left back in the World right now. Mikel – never been a fan but, Fuck Me, did he boss that today. Everyone else as well. Bertrand especially. That’s a proper ‘If Carlsberg did Champions League finals’ moment.

    Secondly, my fellow bloggers. Those in Munich will have collectively lost 4,537,663 years of life expectancy after today but, winnig ‘The Big One’ with the final penalty, in the other teams back-yard will take some beating. I love you all. Those of us at home struggled through it as well, but I’m so jealous. Ditto those of you that make the parade tomorrow. Sods Law I was down from Norwich last weekend…

    Now, there’s drinking to e done and recordings to be watched and re-watched. It’s been emotional. I cried. A lot. But we did it. Roman has won the big one. His boy cried as well. He still loves it. The haters are out in force. I don’t give a shit. To the fridge!

    P.S. Kroos / Muller / Lahm – fancy wearing the Blue of #CFC next season?

  28. Avadu11

    I,ve waited 50 years for this, no one can ever take it away, I,ve drunk a silly amount but still feel totally together, there will be little sleep tonight, great innit?

  29. mark_25

    I’m not sure I can take many more games like that.

    Amazing spirit saw us through even though the odds were against. We’ve set the template for how to beat Germans, Spanish, Portuguese and Italians.

    Champions of Europe. I can’t believe it!

    Let’s all laugh at Tottenham, let’s all laugh at Tottenham, la la la la la…

    • Austin Solari

      I have just listened to the whole hour of that broadcast ………… thank you, Mr Green, Lawrenson et al.
      Just as good as Green’s commentary at 28′ ……… go to just before 56 minutes ………. tis like being at the Bridge

      • Chris Evans

        ….certainly is. A shame the TV cameras don’t stay a little longer on these occasions. As much as I sometimes detest Alan Green, that commentary at 28 minutes and for Torres’ goal against Barca will live with me for a long time.

      • Chris Evans

        …interestingly, when they replayed that Alan Green commentary on Radio 5 this morning the ‘C’mon Didier’ had been edited out! In true BBC tradition they should have left it unedited abd stated ‘other players are also capable of scoring important penalties’!

  30. eismcsquare

    while the team celebrates with each other, we, the non-playing players and managers deseve this as much as we do.

    Congratulations brothers and sisters across the world!

    (and you can pardon me for what I write here, I am drunk, I am happy, I am tripping and I don’t care if I sound stupid – because I deserve to say what I want after what felt like a zillion birthcycles, countless deaths and rebirths to achieve what we have.)

    Every chelsea player deseves to be weighted in gold. And every fan more so. We made it. We have firmly stuck our middle finger in various arseholes (including but not limited to BBC, the Telegraph, the Guardian, the pundits, UEFA, and most importantly Platini) . Benefica who? Napoli who? who the fuck is Barcelona? the special what?

    While I give you a metaphorical virtual hug across the wires and switches and oceans and mountains, let us not forget us – us that make Chelsea what it is.

    – somebody born in India living in the US and dying for the blues.

    (salutes the audience, marches off to drown himself in alcohol, hope and derilium)

  31. Dylbo Baggins

    Magic, just magic- i jumped up and down a fair bit when Droggles put the penalty away but then i just felt peaceful.

    So, which one of you ran on to the pitch? One fella had a massive head start on the rest! Was it you JD?

    Football, bloody hell!

  32. Cunningplan

    I’m up early and still buzzing, and one more siginficant omen. Were were formed in 1905 and we won it on the date 19/05……

  33. Peter from Adelaide

    This summary on a report on ESPN sums it up nicely…what a night. History has been made. I have always felt since RDM took over that is was our destiny to win the CL this year particular after the trauma of 2008 and players like DD and Lamps nearing the end of their careers.

    CHELSEA VERDICT: They were not pretty, they may have rode their luck, but their name is on the trophy due to a performance that offered grit and belief throughout all of its departments. Cech excelled, as did a rag-tag defence, a polished but hard-working midfield and then there was Drogba.

  34. Peter from Adelaide

    This comment on espns sums it up nicely…what a night…history has been made….

    CHELSEA VERDICT: They were not pretty, they may have rode their luck, but their name is on the trophy due to a performance that offered grit and belief throughout all of its departments. Cech excelled, as did a rag-tag defence, a polished but hard-working midfield and then there was Drogba.

    • Ryan

      Also add to that the fact Luiz pretty obviously wasn’t even close to 100% fit and his penalty and we have a legend!

      Just an unbelievable night. Truly amazing. I didn’t think I d ever see Chelsea win the European Cup.

  35. mark_25

    Based on my experience of the train to and from the stadium and Bayern’s penalty taking German efficiency is a myth. If you drive a German car I implore you to go and check the tightness of all nuts and bolts immediately.

    • Ryan

      That bodes well for our newly announced commercial partnership with Audi! Don’t think you’ll be receiving your complimentary R7 now Mark. Sorry mate.

    • Cunningplan

      If women want to avoid the stereotype of knowing fuck all about football, the this Louise Taylor has done them no favours.
      Was she watching another game…. Mikel just 6 jeez get a grip dear and stick to your kitchen duties. (apologies to knowlegable football female fans, I’m not sexist)

  36. Cunningplan

    The most enjoyable bit of the commentary from 5 live with Drogs penalty, was the shout from Mark Lawrenson “C’mon Didier”…… priceless!

  37. Avadu11

    I find myself involuntarily bursting into tears this morning, 4 times already, a tad pathetic I know but hey ho

    • Blueboydave

      Dear me, it’s a close-run thing between Gooners and Scousers for twisted, self-righteous delusions isn’t it?

      Still on a terrific high after about 3 hours sleep.

      My favourite photo is on page 2 of the hardcopy Observer – it’s a low-angle close shot from behind the goal of the Drog’s penalty. Irritatingly it doesn’t seem to be on their website and I can only find a wider angle version elsewhere which isn’t quite as good.

      I see Big Ron and the marketing department have decided they will shift so much CL Winners product they can afford to make Chelsea TV free to Sky subscribers for the weekend, so off to settle down to watch the parade soon.

  38. WorkingClassPost

    Been really struggling since waking up this morning…

    European Champions
                       or
    Champions of Europe

    I just can’t decide which one sounds better.

  39. Tsunki

    As a Newcastle fan, have to say congratulations for winning the CL final.  Makes not getting the fourth spot easier to bear as well lol. If that was Drogba’s last kick for your shirt,have to say what an immense player he has been.  

    Oh, and for your enjoyment, i don’t know if you’ve been there, but have a peek at how the spuds are tearing each other apart and eating each other.  

    http://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/forum/ouch-that-hurt-thursday-nights-it-is-then-t2349.html 

    • Cunningplan

      That’s why everyone hates Rottentham.
      And thanks for your congratulations and good luck in the Europa League next season, I’m sure Newcastle will take it more seriously than Spurs did last season.

  40. Ryan

    Fuck Spurs and the rest. Anti-football? Spurs rolled over at Wembley and they’d have done the same against Napoli if they’d been in our position. Never mind what Barca/Bayern would’ve done to them. Interesting how many are complaining about our “hooligan” element. Spurs have a pretty similar reputation. They may hate us because of the money but we were in the CL before Abramovich. They weren’t. Speaking of money, they’re happy enough to see Adebayor playing for them while City pay most of his wages. So they can all fuck off. Just like the cunt who lives down the road who cheered when Bayern scored. Nice while it lasted eh? About 5 minutes. All I can say is Ha ha fucking ha! We’re Champions of Europe and they’re all nothing.

    They’re going to hate us even more when RA goes out and buys a winger, a playmaker and a striker. Ha ha ha ha ha.

  41. GrocerJack

    A match report will appear…honest. About to start it now but in all likelihood it will be done tomorrow. Yes….I got the match report on this one. Fantastic 🙂

    • Cunningplan

      Looking forward to reading it Tony, it’s been one hell of a week of nerves and sheer terror, but today I’ve been walking around with a permanent grin.
      It’s just a privelage to have this sort of euphoric feeling from a football result.

  42. limetreebower

    I think we should nick Kyle Walker off the Spuds. Played in the same England U21 team as Bertrand and has always struck me as a terrific talent. Bale can go off to AC Milan or wherever he thinks he deserves to be. Modric is a very good player but I suspect we can do better, and since he’s already demonstrated that he doesn’t really want to be a Spud we might as well let them keep him, should do wonders for their long term prospects.

    I’m sure 90% of the country was cheering for Bayern. Quite right and proper too — I’d always back an overseas team against the Mancs/Arse/Poo/whoever. But one of the nice things about being in SW15 is that it’s proper Chelsea territory (with a respectable smattering of Fulham). When Drogs scored I could hear people shouting at their TVs in delirious glee up and down the street.

  43. bluebayou

    Last heard of leaving a restaurant, I’m back in blighty. Lost my phone on the way to the game so out of touch for a while. Some lovely moody pictures of night in German railway stations lost for posterity.

    Will try and put some words together after Tony has posted his stuff.

    Mikel was my MOTM.

    Munich lovely, Bayern fans impressive, atmosphere throughout the day was great.

    Still can’t believe it.

  44. GrocerJack

    I’m sorry folks. I’m still too emotional to get any decent words down and do this monumental game some justice. And I’m totally fucking knackered after drinking what now looks like a dozen pints of real ale with the lowest being 4.7% Bombardier. 

    I promise that tomorrow I will have something to Nick by lunchtime (ish) 

    • WorkingClassPost

       Take your time why don’t you.

      Really.

      Time to start analyzing that game is about next month or so.

      For now it’s about just enjoying the result and also the reaction of all those anti’s: Spuds, Poos, Arses et al

      It’s what makes supporting CFC so much fun.

      And they could just be right, maybe the best team in Europe didn’t win the match, but that’s only because the Best Team in Europe would’ve had two fully fit CB’s and would’ve included Ramires and Ivanovich and …

  45. limetreebower

    Ehhh, it’s a cup competition. We played the best team in football. They couldn’t beat us over two legs. So we won, not them.

    And now we get to feel like this, and the Spud/Arse/Poo fans don’t.

    The parade was excellent. Moral of the day: be very very careful about handing a microphone to David Luiz. Anything might happen.

  46. WorkingClassPost

    A bit more on the Best in Europe theme.

    Napoli (who we dispatched on the way to winning the CL) have beaten Juventus in the Italian Cup Final. Juve have just won Serie A undefeated, and were trying for the double.

  47. Ososdeoro

    I’m obsessed as ever but a massive cold has necessitated use of antihistamines, which enabled me to both sit there transfixed by the whole thing but at the same time removed from it as well. So when disaster occurred, such as the first goal, or the penalty, I didn’t worry about it and my brain just said “well, let’s see if Chelsea can come back from it.” That they did was most satisfying but at the same time I neither suffered the torture that was clearly this game nor the 4 year old Christmas day thrill that was the ending. Very weird. It’s amazing, though. Already watched from 80 minutes to the end about 6 times.

    • GrocerJack

      Seriously not the time for shit stories like this. Read the full interview here. Puts it into context. Alongside his comment in an interview on the bus that  ‘the best is yet to come’.

      http://goo.gl/EgvFc

      • Blue_MikeL

        I believe that when you are saying it is not the time for shit stories like this you talk to BBC, because they have published it in this way. I would be happy to read the full interview. 

  48. Ryan

    I’m not sure there is a story there at all (re:Torres). All he has said is what we’ve all known since he signed. The way we play for the most part (especially in big games against technically superior teams) doesn’t suit him. Drogba is still basically first choice. The question for Torres is “will this summers signings change things?” “will a (possibly) new manager have faith in him?” “will Drogba stay?” “will Chelsea go out and buy a Drogba mkII (Cavani for example)?”

    Not sure what will happen honestly. Wouldn’t be surprised if he went back to Athletico and Falcao came the other way but wouldn’t be surprised either if he was still with us next year. As Tony says though it’s no time to worry about the future now. We’ve got all summer for that.

    Love you all. We are all blessed to be able to say that we saw CFC win the European Cup, I certainly didn’t think I’d ever see that. Not when we were in Division 2. I also thought that for Terry, Lampard, Cole, Drogba and maybe Cech the chance to fulfil what once seemed their destiny had passed. It hadn’t and I’m delighted for them. Six semi-finals in 9 years. We earned any luck we might’ve got this year.


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