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After all the fallout of the Chelsea – Barcelona semi-final, after the disgraceful scenes Drogba gave the world media, after the debateable penalty decisions and after the renewed calls for video technology I started thinking. The semi finals this year threw up many subplots and stories with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona having plenty of history between them, but the one I started mulling over involves just the one person, the player most hurt by all of this, and that is surely John Terry.
Chelsea Football Club were denied a chance of avenging last years Moscow failure. They came within one penalty of claiming the one trophy that Roman Abramovich covets the most, more so than any domestic title. But despite the millions of pounds thrown at his glory chasing ambitions, how ironic it seems that last year it was all lost by a man who didn’t cost the club a penny, a player that has been at Stamford Bridge from the age of 13. The Captain. John Terry.
This is why JT must feel the most hurt by that heart-breaking winner from Iniesta, which while undoubtedly sublime, came like a knife to the heart of one of England’s finest. Redemption can be a fickle thing, some achieve it and others come nowhere near to even getting a chance to avenge the past. So to come within less than a minute of that chance must be so painful.
It was a cruel twist of fate that a mere slip could cost so much and the emotion felt at the final whistle could be felt all over Europe. For so much to be riding on one game, and one goal is exactly why we love football but you can’t help feeling admiration for a man who shakes the hands of all of his conquerors and gets his name chanted as he leaves their dressing room.
Rome 2009 may not be the time when John Terry gets his chance of redemption but I for one hope he gets that chance in his remaining years as a player and that he grasps that chance with both hands.
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