Bayern Munich host Chelsea in today's Champions League final with both sides looking to erase painful memories of recent defeat at the last hurdle on Europe's top domestic stage.
Chelsea arrived in the Munich eager to end its long wait to be crowned king of Europe at the sold-out Allianz Arena, four years after its misery in Moscow.
Chelsea arrived in the Munich eager to end its long wait to be crowned king of Europe at the sold-out Allianz Arena, four years after its misery in Moscow.
The last time Chelsea reached the Champions League final in 2008,it lost on penalties to Manchester United in the Russian capital with striker Didier Drogba dismissed in extra time for a slap on United defender Nemanja Vidic. Despite an erratic season which saw Chelsea finishes sixth in the Premier League, the Blues lifted the FA Cup and beat holder Barcelona on the way to the Champions League final.
After Andre Villas-Boas was sacked as manager in March, new boss Roberto di Matteo has breathed new life into the team and Drogba says the Blues have earned the right to be here.
"After Moscow, most of us thought we were going to get into the final the next year. But you can see it's very difficult to reach a final," said Drogba.
"It shows how much we deserve to be there this time because it's been a few years.
"We did a great job to get past Barcelona but we have to do one more. Now it's one more game to win."
Likewise, Bayern wing Franck Ribery knows the pain of missing out: in the 2010 campaign, his red card in the semifinal against Olympique Lyon saw him suspended for the final as the Bavarians lost 2-0 in Madrid to Inter Milan.
The Bavarian giant has now reached two of the last three Champions League finals and Ribery is eager to lift the title after missing out two years ago.
"I didn't think I'd get this second chance so soon," Franck told magazine Kicker.
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