On This Day in 2012: Chelsea win Champions League for first time

Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history on this day in 2012 after beating Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout.

The Blues stunned Bayern at the Allianz Arena, the German club’s own ground, holding their nerve to win 4-3 on penalties after the score finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

It was the first time Chelsea had been crowned European champions in the club’s 107-year history.

Didier Drogba was Chelsea’s hero, calmly converting the winning spot-kick after his late equaliser had cancelled out Thomas Muller’s 83rd-minute goal for Bayern.

It was a roller-coaster ride for the Ivorian, 34 at the time, as he had gone from
hero to villain early in extra time when conceding a penalty for his reckless challenge on Franck Ribery.

But Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech swooped low to save Arjen Robben’s spot-kick and the Blues ultimately made Bayern pay for a host of other missed chances.

Chelsea became the first London club to claim European football’s biggest prize and the second to win the Champions League and FA Cup in the same season, after Manchester United’s treble-winning campaign in 1998/99.

Captain John Terry, Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic and Raul Meireles all missed out against Bayern through suspension, but changed into full playing kit after the final whistle to join in the celebrations.

Roberto Di Matteo had stepped in as Chelsea’s interim boss when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked the previous March and was rewarded with a two-year deal the following June, only to be dismissed in November after just eight months in charge.