Chelsea legend John Terry (45) said he had extreme thoughts.
Chelsea's legendary captain John Terry confessed that he suffered severe psychological pain after missing a penalty kick in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final.
Terry recently grants a podcast called "Mennie Talks" and said that after returning to the hotel immediately following the Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow, he experienced a "dark moment that I still can't forget."
At the time Terry was the decisive kicker who could have delivered Chelsea their first Champions League title in club history if he had succeeded in the shootout. But he slipped at the moment of the shot and the ball hit the post. In the end Chelsea lost the title to Manchester United after sudden death. The scene remains one of the most iconic moments in Champions League history.
Terry bowed his head and said, "After the match everyone returned to the hotel and I was in a room on the 25th floor. Looking out the window I kept thinking, 'Why me, why did this happen?' It didn't mean I was actually in a position to jump, but at that moment all kinds of thoughts flashed through my head."
He continued, "Soon my teammates came up to the room and took me downstairs. That night I couldn't escape the thought of 'what if back then...'" recalling the painful memory.
At the time Terry was shown around the world in tears on the pitch immediately after the miss, appearing deeply shocked. He later confessed that he could not completely get over that scene for a long time.
Terry repeated, "That scene still keeps replaying in my head. Over time it has dulled somewhat. Now retired, it sometimes comes back more strongly than when I was concentrating on matches every week. It will probably be a memory that never leaves me for my whole life."
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