As a result of the unbelievable act of stupidity which prompted his dismissal on Tuesday night, Chelsea captain John Terry will be barred from lifting the Champions League trophy at the final next month.
Of course, no Chelsea players will be allowed lift the trophy if they don’t go and beat Bayern Munich – that would be just weird – but should Chelsea triumph, their fearless leader is unlikely to be permitted to join in the on-pitch celebrations afterwards.
Terry copped a one-match ban for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back during the memorable clash with Barcelona on Tuesday night – he initially and bafflingly tried to claim it was to protect himself – and could be hit with a further sanction when Uefa meet to discuss the matter at the end of next month.
The governing body are thought to be reluctant to allow a suspended player onto the pitch afterwards so Terry and teammates Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic will most likely have to grin and bear the sight of their teammates celebrating from the stands.
JT’s good buddy Frank Lampard will lift the trophy if Chelsea do triumph and although perhaps secretly delighted at the chance to steal the limelight; he insisted that the Blues would be doing it for Terry and the other absentees.
“My ego doesn’t need to lift it (the trophy),” Lampard is quoted as saying in The Guardian.
“I’d love to be a part of the team that wins it and, if we do, anyone can lift [the trophy]. But I’m devastated for John. He’s a huge player for the club, a central point as the captain. He’ll be there with us. It was hard to console him on Tuesday night but, hopefully, we can win it and do it as a group.”
Terry will almost certainly be in attendance in Munich and like Roy Keane and Paul Scholes in 1999, might join in the celebrations in his club suit at some stage. Still, being unable to be part of the team and potentially lift the trophy as captain is bound to be cutting him deep.
Football fans the world over are no doubt devastated at his predicament.
