He’s Di one we want
Published: Today at 01:02
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The Blues’ billionaire owner Roman Abramovich wept tears of joy as the Londoners upset the odds to beat Bayern Munich in their own backyard and win the European Cup for the first time.
Di Matteo has incredibly won the Champions League and FA Cup double in just 2½ months since taking over from sacked boss Andre Villas-Boas.
And Terry, who lifted the gleaming trophy with stand-in skipper Frank Lampard despite being suspended for the final, roared: “Robbie has been fantastic since he came in.
“You look at that trophy. That’s certainly what we’ve been waiting for, what the owner’s been waiting for, what the owner was in tears for.
“He’s strived for this, he’s pumped an awful lot of money into this football club trying to achieve that. Tonight we’ve done that and Robbie deserves a lot of credit for that.
“We hope he gets the job permanently.
“He’s been fantastic. To win the FA Cup and the Champions League... he can’t do more than that.”
The England international — banned after his red card in the semi-final triumph over Barcelona — was grateful to UEFA for allowing him to lift the cup.
He added: “It means the world to me.
“It was a great touch from Frank and a really nice gesture from UEFA.
“It was a really unfortunate situation I put myself in but on nights like this you have to be involved.
“It was incredible, the lads were fantastic.
“When it got to penalties it’s amazing how the momentum swings.
“After they missed their second it was always going our way.
“People wrote us off early on in this competition. But it was meant to be Chelsea this year.”
Shootout hero Petr Cech also believes Di Matteo has staked a strong claim to be manager on a permanent basis.
The keeper said: “Whatever happens to him, he’s got two fantastic cups and he’s deserved that.
“I think he’s done enough to get the job but now it’s up to the board to decide.”
Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes also offered his support to the Italian, saying: “If I was the owner of a club, I would give Di Matteo a three-year contract.”
Didier Drogba had cancelled out Thomas Muller’s opener before stroking home the decisive penalty.
Cech, who saved an Arjen Robben penalty in extra-time, then shootout spot-kicks from Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger, added: “When we lost the penalty shootout against Manchester United in the Moscow final four years ago, maybe it was not meant to be our moment.
“But as a player you hope you will have the same opportunity to play in the final.
“It was a rollercoaster road, we all enjoyed it, and we got there in the end.
“I faced six penalties and six times I went the right way — four times I touched the ball and three I saved.
“I’m so proud of everybody.
“I can’t describe the feeling I have.
“I saw Didier at the end and it’s the first time in my life that I didn’t know what to do.
“You can’t imagine the feeling. I promised to win the cup for the boss and now we have. It’s incredible.”
Although Drogba and Cech were the stars of Chelsea’s 4-3 shootout triumph, there were heroes all over the pitch. Lampard, who hit one of Chelsea’s successful penalties, declared: “I can’t believe it. I told my girls Chelsea are the best team in the world... and tonight we are!
“This means everything. We’ve been so many years trying to do this.
“This is the one we really wanted and we’ve got it.
“We didn’t play fantastic but the main man Didier dug us out of trouble.
“He’s a hero. Without him we’re not here. He scores the goals in the big games.”
Ivory Coast striker Drogba, 34, is out of contract this summer but Lamps added: “I’d love him to stay. What he did tonight he’s been doing all his career.”
Fellow shootout hero Ashley Cole admitted Chelsea were fortunate as Bayern spurned a number of good chances.
He said. “We should have probably lost the game with the amount of chances they had. We certainly rode our luck, but you need luck in this competition if you’re going to win it.”
This final victory means it was third time lucky for Cole, having been on the losing side with Arsenal in 2006 and Chelsea in 2008.
Defender Gary Cahill only joined Chelsea in January but the centre-back has already won two pieces of silverware with the London club. And the former Bolton man said: “I came here to win trophies but to pick up two in six months is absolutely unbelievable.”
Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel added: “This is the best night of our lives, we’ve worked all season for this.”
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