'So I thought OK, Panenka. No, no, no, no!' - Chelsea legend Didier Drogba reveals Champions League winning penalty dilemma

 
Didier Drogba
Andy Hodgson9 December 2013

Didier Drogba cemented his name in Chelsea folklore with his final kick for the Blues - scoring the penalty that sealed European glory.

But it could have been so different had the powerful Ivory Coast striker gone with his gut - to try a cheeky soft chip - known as a 'Panenka' after Czech Antonin Panenka.

Drogba, 35, reveals the last minute change of heart he had at the Champions League final in Munich last year, to Ned Boulting in a new documentary about his life.

Drogba explains what was going through his mind when he stepped up to take the penalty that would give his side an unassailable 4-3 lead in the penalty shoot-out. “I was thinking, okay, okay now it is my turn, what do I do, the goalkeeper has gone everywhere we shoot everywhere, every time you take a long run he goes in the right direction, so I decided to do a Panenka, so I thought okay - Panenka. No, no, no, no, Panenka."

He adds: "But I decided to take a two-step then I will not give the goalkeeper any time to read my run and I will see where he is going, so after my first step I could see he had already gone on my right[ so] I put the ball on the left and then I think that was it, I was like no it is not possible, no it is not possible.”

The programme features contributions from his former teammates and colleagues including Jose Mourinho and John Terry in addition to Drogba speaking about his extensive charity work in his homeland.

Didier Drogba: Sports Life Stories is on ITV4 at 11.15pm on Tuesday December 10.

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