And cheap it was. In the 39th minute — just two minutes after FC Barcelona scored the opening goal, which tied the series on aggregate — Terry walked up behind Sanchez and kneed him in the back. It was unnecessary, unprovoked and incredibly stupid.
Chelsea was short of options at central defense coming into the game. David Luiz missed out due to a hamstring injury. Gary Cahill, Terry’s partner in the middle, slipped and injured himself in the sixth minute. He left the game six minutes later. Branislav Ivanovic, who is equally comfortable playing as a fullback or center back, manned the middle after Cahill’s departure.
Terry received his marching orders when his team needed him most. Chelsea had just conceded a goal, and one more (at that point) would swing the semifinal in heavily favored Barcelona’s favor.
Instead of organizing and calming his teammates, Terry did something that defenders worldwide do on a regular basis. He tried to intimidate a key attacker on the opposing team. He waited until the referee’s back was turned and gave Sanchez a blow to the the small of the back.
The only problem is that an extra set of eyes was watching the game, and they belonged to a referees’ assistant. UEFA is in the second of a two-year experiment that puts an extra official on the goal line. When Terry kneed Sanchez, the two players were standing near the top of the Chelsea box. The incident was well within the sight of the extra official, who presumably alerted the referee.
“I’ve seen the replay, and it does look bad,” Terry told Sky Sports. “I’m not that type of player to intentionally hurt anyone.
“I’ve raised my knee, which I shouldn’t have done with hindsight, but hopefully the people out there who know me know that I’m not that type of player.
“I feel as though I let them down. I’ve apologized to them, and I want to apologize to the Chelsea fans as well. I’ve let the lads down. They’ve performed brilliantly, so hopefully this won’t take away from their performance and the way they’ve worked together as a team.
Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo refused to criticize the Chelsea captain after the game. He was too busy basking in glory after his team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.
“[Terry] is a fantastic leader of this group, and he is the captain of our club,” di Matteo said. “Anyone can make a mistake in life, and we are just so happy that this group has managed to go to the final.
“We are all human beings, and these players are under a lot of pressure, and we all make mistakes.”
No player symbolizes Chelsea FC more than Terry. He’s been a starter since the 2000-01 season and has captained the club during its glory years (2004-present). His leadership has been one constant as the Blues have cycled through managers.
But when his teammates were out doing what he does best — defending as if their lives depended on it — Terry was inconsolable in the locker room. Were it not for the heroic defending of the 10 Chelsea players left on the field, this may have been the main story of Tuesday’s game.
Terry’s teammates spared his blushes, but he will be suspended for the final. Winning the Champions League is an obsession at Chelsea FC. It is the trophy that owner Roman Abramovich covets most, and Terry probably shares his desire to lift it.
Chelsea will play for European soccer’s ultimate prize on May 19 in Munich, Germany. Like hundreds of millions of fans who will tune in, Mr. Chelsea will be an onlooker, and he brought it on himself.
Should Terry have been sent off for this cheap shot? Vote in our poll below.
Did John Terry deserve a red card for that cheap shot on Alexis Sanchez?
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