Terry was crying after the final whistle, moments that echoed his tears following Chelsea’s penalty shoot-out defeat against Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final in which the defender missed from the spot. He also missed Chelsea’s 2012 triumph through suspension.
John Terry felt a jab of pain when Adrian Lopez scored Atletico Madrid’s equaliser.
This time there was nothing to make it go away.
Chelsea’s captain was playing on one leg, overcoming the odds to take his place in a Champions League semi-final at Stamford Bridge. The fear now is that, at the grand old age of 33, he will never get to play in another. Atletico’s first goal crushed him.
He had been given a painkilling injection to numb his right ankle moments before Chelsea’s warm-up. He will be hurting again.
The night before the game the captain had spoken, ‘100 per cent’ committed to reaching the final later this month against Real Madrid.
They have nine European Cups and Terry wanted to stop them reaching 10 on his watch.
He had done well to be out there against Atletico after he was forced off with that ankle injury in the first leg at the Vicente Calderon last Tuesday.
Jose Mourinho claimed his captain would play again this season only if Chelsea reached the final, but Terry is made of something else.
It was seven years ago, when he was captain of England, that he made the startling admission that he was prepared to end up in a wheelchair when his joints could take no more.
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