5 times legendary footballers choked on the grandest stage
Legendary footballers are often seen in a perfect light, just like the superhero characters you watch in modern-day sci-fi movies. The unfair expectations aren't surprising though, considering the countless number of times these players have stepped up to decide the fate of important games with their magical abilities.
What many overlook, however, is that these legendary footballers are mere humans like us and naturally have their off days. It goes without saying that there are certain moments in which our most reverred superstars fail to find their mojo and it often tells on the overall performance of the team.
To add more context, it is worth noting some of these moments come up on the grandest stages, where these players have all eyes on them for inspiration. In this article, we'll take a look at five such moments when legendary footballers choked on the biggest stages.
#5 Bastian Schweinsteiger vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League final, 2012)
The 2012 Champions League final turned out to be a closely-fought encounter between Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Both teams brought out their absolute best as they fought for the European crown.
Bastian Schweinsteiger was heartbroken after missing a penalty in Bayern's shootout loss to Chelsea in the 2012 Champions League final.
Things were different a year later 🥳 twitter.com/brfootball/sta…
As always, the German giants attacked ruthlessly, with their Premier League counterparts producing a defensive masterclass to match their offensive strength. The game took off in the closing 10 minutes as both clubs scored once each to drag it into extra-time. With nothing separating them in extra-time, the game headed into a penalty shootout.
The decisive moment came as both sides were tied at 3-3 in the shootout. All eyes were on Bastian Schweinsteiger as he stepped forward to take Bayern's last kick in the shootout. Unfortunately, the midfielder sent the ball crashing against the goalpost, after which Didier Drogba scored Chelsea's last effort to ensure the Blues won.
#4 John Terry vs Manchester United (UEFA Champions League final, 2008)
Former Chelsea defender John Terry is another legendary footballer who choked on the grandest stage. The Englishman was the villain as the Blues lost the Champions League final to Manchester United in the final of the 2008 edition.
📅 11 Years Ago Today:
🍌 John Terry slipped and missed his penalty...
🏆 As @ManUtd won the 2008 @ChampionsLeague final in Moscow.
🙌 An iconic night. https://t.co/JNV7UgN5iT
The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. With nothing separating the two sides in extra-time, Chelsea and Manchester United locked horns in a penalty shootout to decide the winner.
Things looked set to go in Chelsea's favor as Manchester United scored three of their first four kicks while the Blues scored all four of theirs. All the Londoners needed at that moment to win the crown was to score their fifth penalty kick.
John Terry stepped up to take the decisive penalty but slipped as he kicked the ball, sending it crashing against the goalpost. Chelsea were made to pay the price for the legendary defender's miss. Manchester United scored their next two kicks, and the Blues missed once to end up on the losing side.