ROBBED … BUT WE WILL BE BACK
(14 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)What is it about the Champions League and Chelsea? Penalty shootout heartbreak against Liverpool, the width of a post in Moscow and now 3 blatant penalty appeals turned down and a last gasp equaliser from Barcelona. I’m choked. Along with tens of thousands of others.Football can be a cruel game but this was the injustice equivalent of being run over by a car and being sued for tyre damage. It hurts and it hurts bad. All I can say is that last year’s Terry penalty in Moscow was far more heartbreaking and we came back as strong as ever. It’s how you react to defeats that defines you, not how you celebrate victory.
In the 80’s and early/mid 90’s Chelsea were labelled as the ‘nearly Club’ as neutrals drooled over our football yet curiously omitted the fact that we got thrashed 4-0 at Wembley by the Mancs and turned over by Zaragoza and Lazio in the Cup Winners Cup semis to name but three incidences. Top of the list was our draw with Leicester and defeat by West Ham at home which cost us the league in 1999. Nearly Club.
Since then we’ve progressed to the top of the pile. Almost. We’ve buried our Premier League ghosts, buried our FA Cup and League Cup yearnings and our attention is on the Champs League. But just like in the Nineties, we are now the nearly men of Europe. We’re not there yet
All we need now is patience. We’re one of the top three Clubs in Europe. Eventually our time will come. Just like it did with the Premier League and just as it did with the regular FA Cup appearances and League Cup victories.
Our name is massive all over the world and deservedly so. I was walking down a street in Cologne last year and saw a Chelsea themed bar run by Germans. Our Club crest was there on the high street in big letters. IN GERMANY.
Tonight we were the better team. We played against twelve men and Mr Platini, an ever-present shadow resenting our great Club.
We’ll be back.
If Hiddink goes we’ll need a new manager (a top class Champions League specialist who has the respect of the players) and a re-building job to get a proper age balance in the team. A new striker and winger must be our priorities as well as a midfielder.
Chin up.
Comments
By Graham on May 7th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I’m not a chelsea fan, But last night you was robbed by a third rate referee who was no way going to give chelsea a penalty. Even the sending off was wrong, UEFA should appoint europes best referees to take charge of these high profile games. Not officials like this from the Norwegian league that basically equates to our 2nd division. I can understand emotions running high at the end.
By Mike Heald on May 7th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I’m a Man Utd season ticket holder … just wanted to tell you Chelsea fans that I felt sick for you last night , it was the most wrong game I’ve ever watched in my life, what UEFA and that ref have done, not only to you but English football as a whole is totally corrupt and unjust, it’s took the shine off us appearing in the final this year as uefa have made a mockery of the cup. You were cheated plain and simple. Felt most sorry for JT, who you might be suprised to know is respected by man utd fans, the boy deserved his chance at redemption. Gutted for you all
By Nick Dickenson on May 7th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I’m an Arsenal Fan, but, I have in 50 years watching football, never seen such a mockery of the interpretation of the laws. I feel real anger at the ineptitude of this referee or was it deliberate? Knowing what Platini’s thoughts are about Chelsea it makes you wonder. I’m gutted for you until we play you on Sunday.
By Skriver on May 7th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I hate to say it guys, but the ref only missed one penalty last night. which evens out the penalty that Henry should have had at Camp Nou last week.
By Mark Ugolini on May 7th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
I have been a die hard Chelsea supporter for 4 years and I am totally disgusted AT THE SHOCKING REFEREEING in our recent defeat to Barcelona. one can only wonder if it was not prehaps pre planned to avoid an all English final. I will now for only the second time be supporting Man U to CRUSh Barca.
By darren naughton on May 7th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
do you know what? i’m fed up with commentators telling people that drogba was out of order. mate i would rather 11 men who show such commitment and emotion than a team of people who couldn’t give a toss. i was proud of the boys last night, just a shame we had a dodgey ref! i’m still fuming that it happened the way it happened. 90 mins not a shot on target! i aint going on holiday to norway anytime soon. oh and drogbas swearing was after the watershed!
By CHO SUNG KO on May 7th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
AS TRUE LIVERPOOL FAN, I DO SHOW RESENTMENT FOR OUR 7-5 LOSS TO YOUR TEAM, THOUGH I FEEL THE INJUSTICE AND BIASED DECISIONS OF THE REFEREE; HE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO REFEREE TOP CLASS MATCHES SUCH AS THESE FOR MOCKING THE RULES OF FOOTBALL. THEREFORE, I RESPECTFULLY FEEL THAT YOU RIGHTFULLY TO PASS INTO THE FINAL.
By archunan rudykov on May 7th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I am FCB fan, but I must admit the referee determined the result of this game. This is not how i want my team to reach the finale.
I understand the frustrations of Didier Drogba, this referee should never judge big games any more.
Having said that I rather prefer liverpool in semi finale who dares to play attacking football than chelsea defending with 10 men.
By Cecilia Hale on May 7th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
We was robbed That ref ought to go to Specsavers
By Nicolás Valdés on May 8th, 2009 at 3:32 am
Chelsea Fans, i’m from Chile in south-america.
Barcelona is not the really UCL Finalist, it is the Chelsea.
Fcuking referee, never no more in the football, is a shame.
(Excuse my english)
By keir beales on May 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I wanted to know why everyone said football was the winner with barca going through, Johan Cryuff saying that barca were the only team playing football, last time i checked one shot on target in a whole match ain’t great football
By paul on May 8th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Totally gutted once again we go another season in the champions leauge without winning it. I must say every year we do everything right but somehow dont get that good fortune and luck that others do. With just a bit of luck one day we will win it. Its a lottery of a competions when you get to the last eight and its not always the best team wins it. But like Tommy Docherty said in the 60’s about the fa cup if you keep knocking on the door someone will eventully answer it. We will win this competion one day and everyone knows that. Thats why people dont like drawing us. We are a great club and with just a tiny bit of luck which previous winners have had we will be the champions. It will be like London buses you wait for one then 2 or 3 will come at once. Keep the faith.
By CHRIS on May 8th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
IT IS NOW 2 DAYS ON. STILL A BURNING SENSE OF DISBELIEF. TOTAL FRUSTRATION RAGES! I CAN’T HELP BUT FEEL THAT WE MAY BE DESTINED TO BE EVER THE BRIDESMAID, THAT THE CUP WITH THE BIG EARS MAY FOREVER ELUDE US. I HAVE NOT FELT THIS DESOLATE ABOUT A FOOTBALL MATCH SINCE ENGLAND EXITED ITALIA 90! EVEN LAST YEARS FINAL DEFEAT WAS EASIER TO TAKE AS AT IT WAS A STEPPING STONE. GREAT TO MAKE THE FINAL, SOMETHING I COULD NOT IMAGINE WHEN I BECAME A REGULAR FROM 1984.
IF THERE IS ANYWAY OF KEEPING HIDDINK THEN THAT WAY MUST BE FOUND, AM I ALONE IN THINKING THAT ANCELOTTI MAY BE ANOTHER SCHOLARI? I THINK THE HIERACHY SEE IN ANCELOTTI THE CHANCE TO BE PRUDENT, AFTERALL LOOK AT THE LONGEVITY OF THE MILAN TEAM WITH MALDINI STILL TURNING OUT. WE NEED FRESHENING UP, SIR ALEX HAS NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO TRADE IN AGEING STARS. INVEST IN YOUTH. AS HARD AS IT IS TO SAY IT, HE IS SURELY THE UN-DISPUTED BEST IN THE BUSINESS! I’M NOT ADVOCATING ROOT BRANCH SURGERY BUT WE NEED PACE ON THE WINGS. A ‘SPECIAL PLAYER’ TO WIN US THOSE TIGHT GAMES AND PRODUCE THE UN-EXPECTED (DECO OF 5 YEARS AGO). ANOTHER STRIKER!
By Allan on May 9th, 2009 at 10:39 am
As a spurs fan I should be laughing but as a football fan I can’t help feeling there was something extremely suspect with the officiating in that champions league match. If you can say that most of the penalty appeals were for incidents that flashed by so quick the referee didn’t spot them then fair enough but the Malouda claim was to all intents and purposes a re-writing of the rule book! The ref clearly spotted the first foul but allowed Malouda to continue i.e. allowed the advantage so when the second foul was committed inside the box and ‘under the watchful gaze of the ref’ the penalty should have been awarded. Instead play was brought back to the first incident! The rules do not allow for this and what better advantage is there than a penalty anyway! Dodgy or what?
By Howard Meade on May 10th, 2009 at 11:47 am
When did a side win the champions league for the first time? also the only time two sides from the same country were in the same group was when liverpool were put in our group it has never happened before or since. Maybe as well it’s time to stop betting on football games as a lot of money was placed on Barcelona to reach the final.