John Terry has admitted he was “left in a bad way” after missing his crucial spot-kick in Chelsea’s penalty shoot-out loss to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final.
The Blues hero had the chance to win the trophy from 12 yards but on a soggy Moscow night the captain slipped as he struck the ball and saw his shot rebound off the post. United went on to win their third European crown instead, as Edwin van der Sar kept out Nicholas Anelka’s attempt.
Terry recently opened up about that night 15 years ago and says it’s something he thinks about to this day. Speaking candidly to Snooker legend Stephen Hendry on his CueTips YouTube channel, he said: “The Champions League when I missed the penalty, that’s still with me today.
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“I often still wake up, literally in the middle of the night and it’s there. Champions League final, missing the penalty. You have so many successes, but it’s strange how you remember that, but more importantly how everybody else remembers it as well, and reminds you.”
Asked about the aftermath, Terry said: “Just a bit of a blur really. You get back to the hotel and you feel like you let your teammates down. Champions League is one of those as well where it’s the hardest competition to win I think.
“You’re thinking, ‘I’m not sure we’ll get another chance at this’. You just carry that weight with you completely. So all the players are in the bar after, not celebrating because they wasn’t, I just couldn’t go down and face them.
“I had all my family there, I was embarrassed to go down, I didn’t want to be around the lads. A few of the lads came up and ended up going down late in the night.
“I was just really emotional and looking back, I was in a really bad way if I’m honest. I just remember being in my hotel room and just thinking the worst things ever.”
A few days later, Terry was on England duty with United players who had lifted the trophy that night. He admitted that it made the process worse although underlined how graceful his counterparts were.
Terry added: “Sitting at breakfast and lunch with the United players… it all comes back, it’s there, it never kind of leaves you. The lads were good as gold honestly, really good.
“No one ribbing, no banter, they understood the sensitivity of it, understood I was in a bad way as well. We played America, Becks [David Beckham] has put a ball in just outside the box, I’ve headed it and I’ve scored from like 19/20 yards.
“I just remember going, ‘Why, why that goal?’ If I could have flipped the two, the goal for England and scored the penalty, I would do it tomorrow. It’s just bizarre, you’re just so disappointed.
“People don’t get to see that side of it, they see the glamour and it’s a great life don’t get me wrong, but there is ups and downs along the way as well.”
Although he didn't feature in the final itself, Terry would go on to lift the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012.
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