Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba has says Juan Mata helped him win the 2012 UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties to lift their their first Champions League trophy .
The Blues defeated The German side at the Allianz Arena eight years ago.
The former Ivory Coast international went on his Twitter page and said:
“Eight years ago, the manager [Andre Villas-Boas] had been sacked by the club and we, the players, had a team meeting where we recognised being partly responsible for his departure.
“The captain @johnterry spoke, @franklampard @petrcech and other leaders in the team too.
Thomas Mueller put Bayern in the lead but Chelsea got the equaliser with eight minutes left.
Drogba scored from an assist from Mata as the encounter ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
He further tweeted: “We decided to all give the Champions League everything, despite our defeat 4-1 to Napoli.
“We had been chasing this trophy for 8 years and could not do better than runners up. Everyone agreed to put egos aside and challenge each other for the same goal.
Drogba who headed the cross from Mata revealed he was 23 years old when he won the trophy under coach Roberto Do Matteo.
He said: “After that meeting, I asked a young 23-years-old @juanmatagarcia ‘please Maestro, help me win the champions league.’
Recall that Di Matteo was appointed interim manager after the Club had sacked Andres Villas Baos.
Drogba continued: “He looked at me like ‘man you are crazy, you are Didier Drogba you are gonna help me win it.’
“I then told him I have been here for eight years and never won it, so I believe you are the one who is gonna help us win.
“I will even give you a present if we win it, that was February ending.
“Three months later, we were in Munich, in the Champions League final, in their stadium, submerged with a red wave.
Reminiscing on how the goal came, Drogba who joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2004, said it was a corner kick with eight minutes left to play.
According to Drogba: “The hosts took the lead with eight minutes to go and on my way to kick the ball for the last 8 minutes I was so discouraged, the young man [Mata] said to me ‘believe Didi, you have to believe,’ almost in tears I answered after looking at the time score “believe in what? It’ is almost over, I am gonna cry like a few months ago when I lost the final with Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ivorian added that it was Chelsea's only corner kick of the game as Bayern Munich had take over possession of the game.
“Last minute, last corner, I mean the first corner for us against 18 for Bayern Munich.
“Guess who took that corner kick… @juanmatagarcia and the rest is history. The lesson is ALWAYS BELIEVE!” He concluded.
Drogba won Four Premier League titles with Chelsea, four FA Cups, three league cup and one Champions League.
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