John Terry Apologises For Sending Off

Chelsea are through the to UEFA Champions League final after dispatching holders Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate, but one player who won't be taking the field at the Allianz Arena on May 19th is the captain. John Terry was sent off with Barcelona leading 1-0 after he was caught delivery a knee to the back of Alexis Sanchez's thighs, and although Chelsea eventually made it through regardless, it looked like that was going to be the end of the line.

I'm not sure what possessed Terry to pull such a deranged stunt in the middle of one of the club's most important games of all time, and I don't think he is either:

I've seen the replay and it does look bad. 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'm disappointed, but absolutely delighted for the lads. To come here and perform the way they did and get the result they did with 10 men...

I feel as though I let them down. I've apologised to them and I want to apologise to the Chelsea fans as well. "The lads deserve to be there. It's so important for the football club. Three or four months ago no-one would have predicted us being in this position where we are today. 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.

It was disappointing from Terry, but it's hard to feel that much rancor after the elation of a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou. Would it have been easier with eleven men and some centrebacks? Yes, it would. But we made it through regardless, and I wouldn't change anything that happened in that match for the world.