With Frank Lampard poised to return as manager at Chelsea we thought it would be interesting to look back on his biggest triumph in a Blues shirt; the Champions League final win against Bayern Munich seven years ago.
The biggest night in the club’s history came about through unlikely circumstances with Roberto Di Matteo in charge as caretaker manager, and a few players started the game who would not have usually played.
The suspensions to captain John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles meant the starting eleven wasn’t the most star-studded, so where are they all now?
Petr Cech
After moving on to Arsenal and spending four years with the Gunners, the legendary goalkeeper has returned to Stamford Bridge as technical and performance advisor.
Jose Bosingwa
The Portuguese right-back ended his four-year stay at the Blues when his contract expired after the final. He moved to QPR on a free transfer and spent a year at Loftus Road before playing for three years in Turkey with Trabzonspor. He retired in 2016.
David Luiz
After being sold for £50m to PSG in 2014, he returned to Chelsea after a two-year spell in France. He firmly established himself back in the first team under Antonio Conte in the title-winning team during 2016/17 and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Gary Cahill
Cahill joined Chelsea just six months before the Champions League final win, but he became a first team regular pretty quickly. Following John Terry’s departure in 2017, the defender was named club captain and spent two further years with the club before being allowed to leave on a free transfer this summer. He spent seven years at the club.
Ashley Cole
Two years after the triumph in Munich, Cole moved on a free transfer to Italian club Roma. After struggling for game time in Italy, he made the switch to MLS where he played for LA Galaxy. He returned to English football at Derby under Lampard’s management last season but will be leaving Pride Park this summer.
Salomon Kalou
Despite being allowed to leave on a free transfer following the Champions League final, the Ivorian has gone to great success with Lille and Hertha Berlin. The winger is still a regular for the German club at 33 years of age.
Frank Lampard
After excelling during his first year in management with Derby, the Chelsea legend is now expected to become the club’s next manager following the departure of Maurizio Sarri.
John Obi Mikel
The Nigerian spent eleven years with the Blues before he moved to the Chinese Super League in January 2017. However, after two years in China, he opted to return to England with Championship side Middlesbrough. After a six-month stay at the Riverside Stadium, he is a free agent.
Ryan Bertrand
The defender actually made his European debut in the 2012 final as a left winger. Following two more years as backup to Ashley Cole, he joined Southampton in July 2014. A regular for the Saints, he also began to get call-ups for England.
Juan Mata
The Spaniard delivered the corner for Drogba’s famous equaliser. He made 135 appearances for the club before being sold to Manchester United for £37m in January 2014. He has recently signed a new contract to stay at the Red Devils until 2021.
Didier Drogba
The Ivorian’s equaliser and winning penalty will go down in the club’s history. He departed after the final on a free transfer to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua prior to a spell with Turkish club Galatasaray in 2013. He made an emotional return to Stamford Bridge for one final season in 2014 before ending his career in North America.
