2011-12 UEFA CL: Chelsea are European Champions

[Kahn_2001]

What an amazing game, congrats to Chelsea well deserved. I was waiting for chelseas coach to pull a murinho and start running around the field with one finger in the air.

[Foye]

Did I mention how pathetic Barca's crowd was?

All they did was wheeze when Cech had the goal kick. No supporting chants for their own team at all. Pathetic.

[Foye]

Barcelona organization handling this loss a lot better/graciously than Madrid has in recent years. Respect for that.

Well, Real are terrible losers. They lack class to acknowledge a defeat. I fully expect Pepe to break someones legs tomorrow in case they lose.

[VicG]

Man, totally shocked, but gotta give Chelsea credit... they rode all their heart, some luck and poor Barca finishing to a well-deserved place in the final.

Madrid and Bayern must be licking their chops at this point (rightly or wrongly).

A Madrid-Chelsea final would have lots of story lines to dig our teeth into.

[jim todd]

HOLY **** am I ever proud of our boys! A full-on gritty slugfest and they come out on top. Today blue is the color. The job is not yet done.

[lukekarts]

Gary Neville's reaction:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOYtGEOiPHU[/youtube]

[treiz]

Gary Neville's reaction:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOYtGEOiPHU[/youtube]

I was with him the whole time!

[jim todd]

Oh I forgot to add that like everyone else, I felt that ref was weak. Way too easily swayed by the reactions of the crowd. In the end, it all just added to the drama...I'm happy with the result.

[MaliBrah]

holy UEFA has blocked those videos already? damn

[TheAdmiral]

I'm still shocked Chelsea's going to the Cup Final. Never ever saw it coming.

[Man of Steel]

Barcelona organization handling this loss a lot better/graciously than Madrid has in recent years. Respect for that.

Well, Real are terrible losers. They lack class to acknowledge a defeat. I fully expect Pepe to break someones legs tomorrow in case they lose.

Guess we'll see tomorrow how bad Real can get. The organization haven't been bad as much as Mourinho in particular (see his bad record with the press). I can see why people consider this team to be bad losers after he got the managing position, but people are quick to label the whole team when there are only 2-3 players on the squad that actually buy into that particular notion of his (that if you lose, take 'em down with you).

[5DOM]

Never thought I would see a more thrilling CL game from Chelsea than the one against Liverpool in 09. Hopefully the Final's even better.

[TyrusRose2425]

Bayern ! Bayern ! Bayern ! Let's get this!!!

[5DOM]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... ea?cc=5901

Fabregas makes me laugh.

Dives, whines and still no league title

[Next Coming]

What a match. Watched it in a pub full of Chelsea supporters. Amazing atmosphere.

[Man of Steel]

As much as I love Chelsea I can't see them taking the cup. What they've done against Barcelona is amazing and shouldn't be taken for granted but without Terry, Meireles, Ramires and Ivanovic they aren't going to be able to "park the bus" as it's been put, and Munich/Madrid have rosters that are far more offensively potent and with a much faster pace. I can't wait to see what Di Matteo has planned for this one. Any word on whether Cahill or David Luiz will be fit in time for the final?

[Slava]

Really happy for Chelsea and how can Terry be such a knuckle head after missing the penalty in 08?

There's a sense of inevitability though like United in 99, Liverpool in 05 and Chelsea this season.

Now if Bayern can finish the job in the other semis I can sleep well not having to hear Spanish clubs' superiority for another year.

[lukekarts]

As much as I love Chelsea I can't see them taking the cup. What they've done against Barcelona is amazing and shouldn't be taken for granted but without Terry, Meireles, Ramires and Ivanovic they aren't going to be able to "park the bus" as it's been put, and Munich/Madrid have rosters that are far more offensively potent and with a much faster pace. I can't wait to see what Di Matteo has planned for this one. Any word on whether Cahill or David Luiz will be fit in time for the final?

Please don't call it a roster

Of those guys I think Terry and Ramires will be the ones we really miss. Bosingwa is hit or miss at right back, but I think he can cope. We have better midfielders than Meireles.

The expectation is both Luiz and Cahill will be fit for the final. Guys being suspended means that Ivanovic, Ramires and Mereiles will likely play all our remaining league games whilst Lampard, Mikel etc get some rest.

I'd be reasonably confident if we can put this team out in the final:

Cech
Cole
Cahill
Luiz
Bosingwa
Mikel
Essien
Lampard
Mata
Torres
Drogba

Subs: Hilario, Bertrand, Ferreira, Romeu, Malouda, Sturridge, Kalou

[Foye]

As much as I love Chelsea I can't see them taking the cup. What they've done against Barcelona is amazing and shouldn't be taken for granted but without Terry, Meireles, Ramires and Ivanovic they aren't going to be able to "park the bus" as it's been put, and Munich/Madrid have rosters that are far more offensively potent and with a much faster pace. I can't wait to see what Di Matteo has planned for this one. Any word on whether Cahill or David Luiz will be fit in time for the final?

The final is almost a month away. I think they'll both be available to play. Don't know about Luiz but Cahills injury didn't look that bad.

[KF10]

I hope Bayern wins.

Love the style of their futbol.