Tens of thousands of Chelsea fans have lined the streets of west London to watch their team parade their Champions League and FA Cup trophies in an open-top bus. Champions of Europe: Chelsea players on an open-top bus on the streets near Stamford Bridge (Picture: AP) Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history last night with a 4-3 penalties win over Bayern Munich following a 1-1 draw after extra time in the Allianz Arena.Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo was joined in today’s parade by last night’s Munich heroes Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole along with all the other players who took part in the amazing victory and those unable to take part, such as suspended captain John Terry.Owner Roman Abramovich, who finally saw an estimated £1 billion investment in the club come to fruition, was also on one of two specially painted parade buses, which, owing to a notorious Chelsea song, navigated roads carpeted with copious amounts of celery thrown by supporters.The parade began at Stamford Bridge at 4pm before heading along Fulham Road and King’s Road until reaching Parsons Green, where the buses stopped for players to serenade supporters with some popular chants. Chelsea players celebrate on the parade bus a day after winning the Champions League (Picture: EPA) Local road closures were in place and were not due to be lifted until crowds dispersed later in the day, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham said.The last time Chelsea held a trophy parade more than 70,000 gathered to watch them show off the Premier League and FA Cup in 2010.Councillor Nick Botterill said Chelsea’s Champions League heroics would ‘never be forgotten in these parts’.'Like a phoenix from the flames Roberto Di Matteo turned around what could have been a disappointing year for the Blues to deliver the top prize in world club football to west London,’ he said.’This will forever be remembered as the year the Blues achieved their European destiny.’ Ashley Cole, John Terry, Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa, Raul Meireles, Salomon Kalou and John Mikel Obi wave to fans (Picture: AP) At least 25,000 Chelsea supporters were in Bayern’s home ground to watch the team’s greatest-ever European night as Drogba, playing possibly his last game for the club, scored the decisive penalty after heading home an 88th minute equaliser to cancel out Thomas Muller’s opener and send the game into extra-time.After Drogba felled Franck Ribery in the box former Blues winger Arjen Robben saw his weak penalty saved by Cech, with the goalkeeper going on to save spot-kicks from Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the shootout.That set the stage for Drogba, 34, who is out of contract this summer, to score the winning penalty, having also scored in Chelsea’s 2-1 FA Cup final win over Liverpool earlier this month. PICTURES: Chelsea’s Champions League victory parade

A news article on 2012-05-20 11:43:42 from: The Metro

This news item has been reproduced from today’s media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.