ChampionsLeague

This is something I have been working on for a few months now, when I had the idea of writing an ebook or something similar on my experiences following Chelsea from the arrival of Jose Mourinho in 2004 to the present day. Let me know what you think.

I will never forget the night of April 30th 2008. Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool, 4-3 on aggregate. It meant we were going to Moscow and the first Champions League final in our history. The atmosphere at the Bridge that night was unlike anything I have ever heard, then or since. It was incredible and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The Matthew Harding Stand was literally shaking and my vocal chords took one almighty pounding.

After the pain of the semi final defeat in 2007 and the five-hour coach journey back from Anfield this was sweet revenge. If you had said to my Dad 20 years ago that he would have the chance to see his team in a Champions League final he would have thrown his head back and laughed. But in 2008 it became sweet reality.

As far as first steps on the road to potential Champions League glory go, this was a fairly uninspiring start for Chelsea.

Carlo Ancelotti will pleased with the three points – which were secured with a strike just after half time from Nicolas Anelka – but he will know that his side can play much better than this. The Italian could counter that at this stage it is points, not performances that matter. And these points were gained without the likes of Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa, Joe Cole and Yuri Zhirkov.

It has been an ongoing debate in football for many years. The calls for goal line technology looked set to gain fresh impetus as an exasperated Didier Drogba claimed he had beaten Gianluigi Buffon with a first half free kick that the Italian stopper appeared palm out from behind his line. But his protests were to no avail.

Chelsea’s sense of injustice didn’t last long. Michael Essien levelled matters soon afterwards, reacting fastest to a deflected Frank Lampard shot to cancel out Vincenzo Iaquinta’s extremely well worked opener.

In a game that was high on drama and full of goals and talking points, Drogba was to have the last laugh with a late equaliser, securing a 2-2 draw that ensures Chelsea’s progress into the last eight.