Monday, February 6th, 2012
Chelsea were left with only the English Premier League to win this season when they were cruelly knocked out of the Champions League by ex-manager Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan. It was a painful reminder of what might have been for the Blues as the man they sacked for not bringing them the Champions League trophy denied them another chance of winning it this season and in the process gave him continued hope of lifting it with the Serie A champions instead. Inter, leading 2-1 from the opening leg of this last-16 tie in the San Siro, secured their place in the last eight when Samuel Eto’o scored the winner at Stamford Bridge in the 78th minute. There was still time left in the game for Chelsea to make their way back if they could score two goals to level the tie on aggregate but another petulant act by chief striker Didier Drogba saw the Ivory Coast striker sent off for the third time in three Champions League seasons and together with him, the end of the club’s European dreams.
After the game, Wesley Sneijder, Javier Zanetti and more Inter Milan players hailed their coach and each other for carrying out their game plan to perfection. While they had some anxious moments during the game due to Chelsea pressing hard, they were quite comfortable overall and had the more threatening openings. It was one too many chances for Samuel Eto’o and the Cameroonian striker does not often miss when given one. He slid it into Blues goalkeeper Ross Turnbull’s near post with a toe poke and history was thus made. After the game, Jose Mourinho insisted it had nothing to do with revenge and instead turned the attention on to his players as he praised them for doing what was necessary to see the club through.
“Sometimes in football you win because you’re lucky. Sometimes you win because you are the best team. Sometimes you win because you were the best team from the first to the last minute. That team was my team and my players.
“I’m not very happy because they (Chelsea) lost. I’m very happy because my players are happy, my supporters are happy, my president is happy and because I worked so much for this game.
“As a professional, that’s the best feeling you can have. I’m not happy because my ex-players or Roman (Abramovich) lost, or that Chelsea supporters go home sad. I’m not happy about their unhappiness.”
The Portuguese clearly still has fond memories of his time with Chelsea and was gracious and humble in his after-match comments, a rare feat for a man known more for his over the top comments. However, often criticised for his safety first approach at his various clubs, Mourinho pulled off a masterstroke when he put out an attacking lineup that featured three strikers in Eto’o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev with Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder in the hole just behind them. That proved too much for Chelsea to handle.
Match Highlights of Chelsea vs Inter Milan:
Tags: Chelsea, Didier Drogba, English Premier League, Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, Match Highlights, Match Review, Samuel Eto'o, UEFA Champions League