Debate: Was Drogba the only villain?

As the experts who witnessed an extraordinary Champions League final dissect the match and crown nearly all of the players involved as deserved winners or valiant losers, one figure is emerging as a villain of the piece. 

After seeing Didier Drogba sent off in extra time for slapping Nemanja Vidic, The Sun called the Chelsea forward "Mad Drog", The Daily Telegraph said his ignominious exit would be a fitting final act to his Stamford Bridge career and The Times suggested the Ivory Coast international had sunk to the occasion.

Their disapproval was heightened by the terrible consequences of Drogba's lack of restraint. He was inked in as a penalty taker in the event of a shoot-out against Manchester United but, in his absence, John Terry was forced to step up. Needing to score his side's fifth penalty to win the cup, the Chelsea captain missed and, ultimately, handed victory to United.

But is it not unfair to reserve all criticism for Drogba?

A player must be sent off for raising his hand to an opponent's face, but it was only the mildest of slaps and certainly nothing to compare to some of the dangerously aggressive tackling that took place in the match.

Drogba was not the only Chelsea player to make a critical mistake, either. Michael Essien left Cristiano Ronaldo unmarked when he scored, Terry badly missed his spot kick and Nicolas Anelka lost the match with a meek penalty.

More pointedly, as he has been throughout the Champions Leage campaign, Drogba was the most dangerous Chelsea forward last night, impressing against a mean United defence while his colleagues Joe Cole and Florent Malouda struggled. 

Is it not time, then, to give the Drog a break?

Comments

[David Rajesh for Chelsea - Malaysia]

Chelsea were in final because of Drogba's 2 goals against liverpool Terry should take responsibility, and he did)
the referee should justify drogba's red card instead.

if terry's penalty went in to the net, it will be a nightmare for C Ronaldo! and he will be at Real Madrid by now. but the spotlight is on drogba NOW, unlucky i guess

stop blaming drog? how much did anelka costed for chelsea? his Drog the only striker? you have a short memory .who sent u in the final?
you attempt to burry drog and I would not accept it as I am an ivorian.if so give drog a break or simply let him go elsewhere.

[SIMON]

the ref. fully supporter of united . that is ashame for him.drogba absolutly mistaken but the case gulty tevez totaly supported by the sided ref.as theresult blues losed

[Kevin]

Chelsea's "poor" behaviour.

Tevez elbowing Makelele anybody in full vuew of the cameras????

Saint Alex harranging the referee all the way from the tunnel to the field at ths start of the 2nd half (and then this classless man having the hypocrisy to criticise Chelsea players in the media for pressuring the ref; LOL!!).

[Ian Edwards]

JAVIG - That was brilliant. Your comments are the best by far.

You should get yourself a job with The Times - but I think you may be too good for them !!

[RAS]

What a bad ref.

[Juv]

Please stop defending Didier Drogba. He slapped Vidic and he deserved to get the red card. If someone had done the same to him he would have definitely been overreacting as usual. Droba does not respect anyone and his theatrics are over the top.
And will everyone stop blaming John Terry like they know how it is to play in a final and take the fifth penalty. It was brave of Terry to even step up to take that penalty. And yes it is Drogba's fault Terry missed because if he had not been sent off Terry wouldnt have needed to take that penalty. I have always been a Manchester United fan but i felt sorry for Terry. And honestly speaking I despise Didier Drogba for his behaviour

[Iain]

If Vidic had slapped Drogba he would have been down on the ground rolling about as if he had been shot. It's typical of the Cheasea players - moaning at every decision, right or wrong, made against them, and diving and play acting at every oppertunity. As a neutral fan watching this I could only support one team, and I was very happy to see them loose.

[Paul]

Some of these one eyed views are astounding!
I am sure that Chelsea fans have loads to moan about - as a ManUtd fan I would have too had we lost. Makalele elbowing Hargreaves, Carvalho should have seen red for trying to break Ronaldo's leg. It was very similar to some shockers we have seen end up in compound fractures - e.g. Eduardo.
I have to say overall the ref was weak which ruined the game. Lets face it - a ref who officiates in Slovakia week in week out will never cope with the premiership's best con artists. I will stop short of offering my views on Chelsea as a team as they have been expressed elsewhere, but had the Ref been able to keep the lid on the game from the start then all of the players would not have spent so much time and energy trying to influence his decisions.
Uefa have to get a grip and make sure they appoint the best referees to these games, not treat them as an outreach project for substandard referees from substandard leagues.
Drogba clearly lost it for Chelsea as he would have taken a penalty, but Terry did need bringing down a peg or two. So did Ronaldo, so in hindsight maybe it was good for him to be sussed out by Cech and miss so poorly. Cech even had the cheek to save it with his face!

[John]

Drogba's slap was a red card offence and it is unbelievable that anybody can defend it. If Vidic had slapped him then he would have fallen to the floor like he'd been shot and would have writhed in agony clutching his face. It was also, given the ongoing melee, a provocative gesture likely to lead to further actions so he had to walk. Drogba is a disgrace as a footballer and I think only Chelsea supporters, viewing the world through blue glasses will have sympathy for him and try to defend him.

Terry is also another character who only Chelsea fans will have sympathy for. Here is a man who continually leads the crowding and hounding of referees and has been the villian in several unsporting incidents on the field. Would Ferdinand or Neville have spat on Tevez like Terry did? The way he approached Tevez and used his arm to shield his act was a disgrace.

[Guy]

The only villain is Terry for his disgusting, cowardly 'snotting' (he didn't spit) on Tevez. The media are going to have to change their line on this "brave hero".

[Chris Banks]

Not the way the match should have been decided...a sending off and a penalty shoot out.
No, it should have been settled after about 30 minutes when Man U could, and should, have been 3-0 ahead. No mistake, United were awesome in the first half but for some reason Fergie decided to defend for a while and almost cost them the game.
UEFA have got to bring in a ruling againasy players harrassing the referee in all matches, l felt that this was the only bad point of an intriguing and purely premiership game. Nothing like it in the world. Well done to both teams.

[tunde taiwo]

I am really disappointed at the turn out of events at such a great game,to think FIFA sings FAIR PLAY all the time,and to remember that the ugly incident of the night was caused by supposed professionals,who i think have sworn to be fair to one another during the course of games is areal disgrace,it is obvious most of these so called players do not really understand the rules of the game and certainly could not be bothered because of what they are paid,i think it is time to review the penalties for such stupidity from players,John Terry and Didier Drogba should be banned for their behaviour for much longer periods as an example.

[Graham Parley]

Drogba taps Vidic on the cheek and the law says he must go.
Tevez assaults Makelele off the ball and no sanction.
If we're going to examine things the ref missed, why no discussion of something the video shows clearly -- the Tevez assault -- and non-stop discussion of something the video doesn't establish clearly, the supposed Terry spit?
Oh, of course. One plays for United and the other for Chelsea.

[K DRISCOLL]

Did I see the same football match ?
Was it not Vidic at the start of the game (as seen on Sky + replay and close up) who smacked Drogba in the face. Blood was seen in his mouth. This was ignored.
SAF ranting to the ref as they walked onto the pitch for second half. Then several incidents against Chelsea were ignored. Ferdinands leg went over Joe Coles head he ducked so avoided being kicked. These and other things seem to be forgotten and we are told what a good game it was. Sorry there were too many sly elbows etc ignored by ref. Lets read more of the actual deeds by all the nasty physical players.
Now Paul Scoles knows how it feels to get whacked maybe he will be more careful, now that was poetic justice. Was confirmed/stated last night he knows exactly what hes doing, not missed timed tackles!

[Martin Bennett]

Chelsea FC did question the officiating but deservedly so. That Sloviakian official made some shady and odd calls, on both sides.
John Terry doesn't deserve the blame; he's header near the end save them for an overtime match.
Drogba shouldn't have gotten a red card, nor should he have hit that guy. His mistake was the costliest.

[BRIAN FORBES]

some of these comments are laughable, the referee was getting revenge on chelsea i feel for the way mourinho blasted him for the garcia goal against liverpool, blatantly giving man utd every decision for the majority of the match, awarding goal kicks for corners, etc. Tevez and rooney's behaviour was also shocking throughout. Tevez constantly was kicking players heels while pulling their shirt, scholes elbow on makelele, evra's elbow on cole and last but not least rooney's blatant harrasment of the referee throughout. Vidic's challenge on anelka late on also was a disgrace. Chelsea are suffering from the hatred mourinho brought on to the club with his at times petulent behaviour

[Smave]

JT should be ashamed of himself for spitting at Tevez... but he won't be! For me, that one moment summed Terry up perfectly! A wide-boy thug with no class! Do you think Rio Ferdinand or Ryan Giggs would have done that?? I sure as hell do'nt! John Terry you are a disgrace to your club your country and to yourself! I hope Fabio was taking note! As for the Drog... hard luck good riddance... pathetic!

[Martin]

Well I have heard some one sided drivel over the years but the comments shown hear are a disgrace. Its as if football is decided on an unseen morality scale (they deserved it over the season?)....give me a break, a few seasons ago I think United were accused of haranguing officials. Its unfortunately part of the modern game, I don't like it either but the only people who can stop it are the governing bodies.

[Bernie]

so the chelsea team of misfits (some of who had fun in a heathrow hotel after 9/11) and you expect them to behave? deserved to lose. always challenging like a pub football team. always bitching when they lose. BUT the best team did win. a football fan not a Man U fan.

[JIM]

Joe Cole should never be picked for the National side again after his performance last night. A theatrical cheat who would feel more at home on the continent. His lack of a 'big game temperament' is so apparent. I hope Capello noted his shameful antics.

[Alex B]

It doesn't matter how hard Drogba slapped Vidic, the point is he did and the referee's shouldn't judge the discipline on the severity. It was a foolish thing to do and he should have definitely been thinking about the penalties. However he was the best Chelsea strike and Rio and Vidic really had to play their best football to stop him.

Terry can't be blamed either, although he missed a penalty he played a good game in defence and stopped a goal with his head. When he did step up to the spot I did feel he was only doing so for sentimental reasons. His crying was unacceptable especially for an England captain. He should have been consoling his team who he was supposed to lead not leave them after the game had been lost.

Essien can't be blamed for his defending of Ronaldo, which other player in the Premier League of Europe can mark arguably the most skilled player in the world.

At the end of the day (great football pun) Chelsea lost and Man Utd won, each team deserved to win but Man Utd did, there's no blame to put on anyone.

[Veronica]

I am a Chelsea fan and i would try my best to be fair in my comment. I am a Nigeria and everyone (Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool Fans) in my state (Lagos State) expected Chelsea to lose, simply because they feel we are too proud. even a man blind can see that Chelsea played a better game. Man Utd won out of luck and not because they are the best football club in the world. Chelsea had more shots at goal and covered more distance in last night's game. the most technical aspect of the game ended after the 2hours long game. the penalty shoot-outs were just luck. i resigned myself to fate after the final whistle of the second half of extra time. Good luck to Man Utd but Chelsea STILL RULES FOREVER! to all Chelsea fans out there, this is my point of view....drogba, terry and Anelka will forever blame themselves for our loss-let's not rob it in. they played a very wonderful game...let's give that to them. ballacka nd joe cole were my men of the match...essien was the engine room of the team and ashley cole was simply SUPERB

[Chris G]

It is far too easy to blame Drogba. His actions were stupid at the end, but how that is a red card offence I donot understand. Yellow would be sufficient, there was no malice in it. As for Terry he is a true leader in every sense of the word. Anelka should have volunteered for the 5th pen. He just doesnt care and missed his anyway. Pathetic. Chelsea should get rid of Grant and Anelka. Terry and Drogba are the heart of Chelsea. It is just the fans of other teams that want to see them go because they know they will have a better chance!!!

[Shane]

How quick we are to damn the fallen.

It's certainly this stupid mentality(present in most commentaries blaming Drogba) that explains why one of the best players in world-Drogba-gets less money than born white prima donnas like Lampard and JTerry.If you are not completely stupid you understand that without Drogba,Chelsea wouldn't have been in Moscow.If you can not say thank you to the man, just shut up.

[James Penghelly]

A small point perhaps but to say "Nicolas Anelka lost the match with a meek penalty" is just a little unfair. His penalty would have gone un-remarked if van der Sar had gone the other way. The shot was actually a pretty good one - high, hard and on-target - but van der Sar luckily guessed the right way and most importantly made a very good save. Terry however produced the only penalty that was off-target - now that's a match-loser.

As for the main point of the article, both teams are amongst the worst in the Premier League for bad behaviour towards officials and downright nastiness to opponents so what do you expect? The unfortunate thing for Chelsea is that Grant has started to make a difference on this score whereas Surly Alex sets the tone for his players.

[JaviG]

Well, I come from Spain, and did not care about the winner before the match started (maybe ManU, but very little bit).
After the game, I can only say that the win is not fair
1. Rio Ferdinand commited a penalty foul on Malouda. Not intentionally, but still penalty foul.
2. Drogba should have got a yellow card, or Vidic to be sent off too.
The reds started the "fight"
3. Terry slipped when he was just about kicking the ball as it was raining a lot. Man, It´s not the same as Anelka or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Anyway, Chelsea should have won, and John Terry has all our sympathy.
He was so unlucky, but you forget he saved the blues by rejecting a shot by Giggs in second half.

You have a grat defender so you should care about him.

[Phil J N]

Vindication and Justice.

What sticks in the craw of Liverpool fans like myself regarding the dominance of Manchester United in recent years... is their thoroughly deserved status.
What sticks so deep in the craw these last few seasons is the vomit-inducing sycophancy from the media towards Chelsea, and equally nauseatingly risible, the Chelsea fans` belief that they are now a "big side".
Drogba`s dismissal was belated justice for the hundreds of examples of gamesmanship, cheating, slack-mouthed protested innocence, and constant flouting of the rules.
Had it been any other player in any other team, the actual act that led to his dismissal would have been deemed innoccuous and undeserving of such a severe punishment... but in this one single case, I cheered loudly in making a concession.
Anelka`s miss was from a poor attempt, John terry`s was (for me and many others) laughable, and I`ll grudgingly admit that Drogba`s actual contribution in footballing terms was head and shoulders above the Sainted Holiness that is now "Lord Frank of the Lost Causes".

As a fitting end to a season of blowhard delusions of grandeur, Drogba`s dismissal was belated justice.
2nd place is first loser, and the chelsea trophy cabinet is as bereft of silverware as everyone else`s... barring the disgustingly impressive manc reds.

On a final note, credit where credit is due, in footballing terms, this was the best "quality" Euro final in years, and both teams performed magnificently.

Dammit, i HATE giving kudos to Man.U and Chelsea...but.. too late now, I said it publicly.
Well done to both sides..great game.

[Fitzgerald Derek Goku]

i think yesterdays match was one of the best uefa match i have watch.i think i will blame the refree for denying chelsea of so many corner kicks and also i was wasn't expecting a professional like drogba to behave like what he did yesterday.chelsea could have won the match if essien shd have played the midfield roll.I wish them better luck next time.

[Rogorn]

Didier Drogba is 30 now, so he has shown us enough to have two things very clear about him. Number one: he makes life very difficult for defenders, and at times he can even be considered a great striker, in particular in a team that needs him as much as Chelsea. Number two: his sporting manner leaves much to be desired and it is a big let-down.

And one thing is as true and has been demonstrated as many times as the other: in this CL final his shot against a post would have been hailed as a tremendous goal (and it was a tremendous piece of a striker's skill in its own right), but he also showed his lack of restraint and understanding of the situation with his red card.

What is curious about Drogba is that he seems to be a guy who wants to be a master of gamesmanship, yet he's useless at it. Instead of making people doubt whether he dives or not, which is what a proper gamesman would achieve, he's made everyone sure that he does it all the time (he even said it on TV!). He remonstrates with refs in full view of public and cameras at a time when that behaviour is being very frowned upon. He remonstrates with team-mates about free kicks. And for a man who is said to 'bully' defenders he couldn't even slap someone properly. He's not a bully, he's the big kid who winds you up, then tells the teacher about you. With Vidic he wanted to play 'I'll have the ref send you off' (I barely touched you and as soon as you get near me to retaliate I'll dive) and got it backwards.

So, he only has to lose the second thing and retain the first to become a great player. And an esteemed one too. And don't say that you can't take that aggression out of his game. Yes, you can, or you won't be that great.

[Dan O]

Much of the Chelsea team were a disgrace, not just Didier Drogba. As a club captain JT should lead by example and I lost count of the number of times he and the other Chelsea players surrounded the referee, or shouted abuse in the officials direction. It was sad to see and being that the game was an advertisement of English football around the world, JT and Chelsea didn't deserve anything out of the game. I think Drogba was sent off because of the lack of discipline and respect that is very much evident in every Chelsea player. They never seem to take responsibility for their actions and even after he was sent off Drogba was pointing the finger at Tevez.
The best team won in terms of the way football should be played & the spirit in which it should be played in. One thing that's certain - Chelsea wouldn't have applauded their opponents off the pitch if they had won.

[perry]

The laws of the game are known by everyone. Drogba lost his composure. It happens to even the greatest in the game. He paid the ultimate price and his conscience will weigh heavy. However reverse the roles, and consider if Vidic had "slapped" Drogba ,then Im sure that Drogba would be rolling and writhing and grimacing for several minutes to guarantee that Vidic was dismissed. Furthermore if Terry did spit at Tevez then I would like to see the media round on our potential future England captain. Shameful JT , a real low point.

[Phil Watson]

The whole incident was a shambles. This is not typical of footballers behaviour from champions league final right down to grass roots level. Drogba deserved to go for the slap. Terry disgraced himself with his behaviour and Lampard was the first to rush in and start throwing his weight about. I was very impressed with Man Uniteds discipline all game with regards to the referee. At the end of the day though. The match left us with 1 thing. A £120,000 a week cry baby!!!!

[Igor]

Referees were villains too. They overlooked (intentionaly) at least 4 corner kicks for Chelsea and all these decisions were against Joe Cole. I didn't have a favourite last night, but these decisions put me on Chelsea's side.

[AJ]

Drogba is a disgrace, end of.
Tery isnt much better. How can anyone have sympathy for someone who has shown himself to be a thug so many times in his career. Parking in a disabled bay, who does something like that so blatantly.
What comes around JT....
Loved the tears.

[Johnny Sutherland]

I totally agree. He was always a threat. His actions shouldn't take away from some excellent performances throughout the season. Many teams would love to have him in their team.

[valroy simpson]

Michael Essien a villian? i think not, he's not a right-back....how about asking avram grant why Essien was not in his rightful place-in the center of midfield when there are TWO specialist right full-backs in the squad?

[Jimmy Cuz]

Last night we all saw a decent game of football between two evenly matched teams packed with talented individuals. It is shame someone had to lose, especially on penalties.

However, I can not help feeling Chelsea got what they deserved. On at least two occassions, packs of Chelsea players led by their captain John Terry (who should set a good example)and experienced Makalele surrounded the referee baying for yellow cards to be dished out. I find consistently trying to get a fellow professional booked embarrassing.

While United are clearly not entirely innocent I found the Chelsea players attitude towards the officials unacceptable. How can John Terry expect to captain his country and represent us on the international stage when in front of a worldwide audience he leads his team in such a manner?

[Vinny]

Lets all have a reality check here. Drogba did the cissy slap right in front of the ref - end of!Terry got way unnoticed spitting at Tevez!

This was bubbling along since the gentlemens agreement was torn up by Chelsea when they earlier refused to return the ball back to United who had put it out of play so an injury could be dealt with. Tevez merely recipricated . To be honest
Chelsea only brought this on themselves so tough!

[spod]

As John Terry walked up to take his penalty, I thought he was glory-hunting. He wanted to be the heroic captain stepping up and taking the pressure. He also wanted the glory. A smarter man would have left the kick to someone more likely to score. Never mind Drogba or anyone else: Terry's ego cost Chelsea the Champions League.

[Bart Baumstark]

The British media and fans will be bending over backwards for the foreseeable future in an attempt to blame this loss on Drogba following Captain Terry's gaffe. Bottom line is that Drogba was incredibly stupid but his red card had zero effect on the game. Chelsea had the game won. Terry unfortunately slipped - these things happen. He had Van Der Sar beat but couldn't beat the post. This was Terry's moment and you have to believe that he strode to the spot confident he was going to seal the CL crown for the team with which his name is synonomous. I feel for Terry and for Drogba - the red will allow the media and fans (who already hate his guts) to scapegoat Didier. He doesn't deserve it.

[AJ]

Simply put. No. Good player though he is, the man is a diving con artist cheat. A pathetic indiviual. He bottled it last night.
Good riddance, though I feel sorry for the Milan fans if they get him.
Drogba - you are a disgrace.

[Louise]

He was the one that got them to the final in the first place and was their biggest threat last night. Our defence did a grand job.Maybe if he'd kept his mouth shut prior to the game people wouldn't be turning on him now.Karma and all that. Maybe he'll stay with them after all-who could be content having that as your final game and leaving a slap and a red card as your legacy?Red card was fair though. You don't slap a player whose just come back from concussion, in the midst of a brawl in the CL final.

[E Blair]

"It was only the mildest of slaps". I think the point has been missed here in this article and that is: there is no place for such behaviour on a football pitch and the referee was quite justified in sending the offending player off. As a paying customer, I have no wish to see such behaviour - I wish to be entertained by watching football.

[Sam]

This Drog is barking up the wrong tree if he thinks he is getting a break!

There will be no sympathy from anyone, he deserves everything that comes his way.

As for other villains, no.

[Aaron Hammond]

I didn't really feel Drogba was particularly villainous. I know the letter of the law says if you raise your hand to another player you are off, but lets face it it was more tickle than slap. I felt sorry for him because for all his shortcomings he is an excellent player, and if you have seen him interviewed off the pitch he is actually quite likeable. Terry is not particularly likeable, he had the chance to win it and the sad truth is he blew it, however as has been pointed out he had the guts to step up which is commendable. I also feel sorry for Anelka who looked devestated.
My perhaps unpopular nomination for villain of the piece is Manchester United, because for all that they were excellent in the 1st half they were nonexistent in the 2nd and frequently resorted to punting the ball upfield. I was also dissapointed with their performance against Barcelona. This is mainly because they are capable of playing supremely attractive football so it is a bit dissapointing when they don't, sometimes it seems like they abandon their football philosophy in europe. However they won so who cares I hear you cry. I am a neutral and by the end of the final I wanted Chelsea to win because on the night I felt they deserved it, now I never thought I would be saying that.

[Alexis Joannides]

Nope!

[Stuart]

I don't know why you think Drogba was the most dangerous chelsea forward? Possibly because he was their only out and out striker until Anelka came on? Ballack was much more threatening and Joe Cole worked much harder, if slightly ineffectively (though he did have one or two bad decisions go against him). Drogba showed last night that despite his skill and strength, he has far too much baggage attached to him to be considered a player in the class of Ronaldo, Giggs, etc. Ronaldo, I'm glad to say has grown out of the play acting that dogged him in the first two seasons in the Premiership. Drogba, however, is a disgrace. I've never dispised a footballer as much as him. I sincerely do hope he leaves and descends into oblivion. It's the least he deserves for his attitude - it has, or should have, no place in football.

[stephen Bull]

remember Zidane

[Paul, London]

I think it's a funny that Drogba gets the blame for Terry missing his penalty.

It was definitely stupid of Drogba to slap Vidic on the face (however gently) but it was still Terry miss at the spot.

[Booty]

Time to give the Drog a break? No, not really. Drogba has it in him to be an unstoppable force. Unfortunately he routinely cheapens his game with his petulance, his play acting and his whining. He could/should be the sort of player that opposing fans can't help but applaud. Instead, we can't stand him.

[Anthony O]

Time for Drogba to go.
Despite last nights sending off, his general petulence, selfishness and disregard for club and teammates is unacceptable and he needs to be shipped off.
Good ridance.

[Kevin Davids]

Terry was the villain he spat at Tevez.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5uGA9Ef55I

look at when Terry goes across to Tevez and spits then tries to cover it up and watch tevez touching his neck were the spit was.