Ten years today, Chelsea football club had made history and won the Champions League. It remains printed in every fan's memory as the day that Didier Drogba secured Europe's most elite prize. After years of coming so close, the 19th of May 2012 made dreams come true. It implanted a type of fulfilment in the Chelsea camp following the misfortunes of 2008 and unjust scenes from 2009 on the quest for Champions League victory.
It took a last-minute equaliser, a missed Arjen Robben penalty in extra time and an intense penalty shoot out, but the Blues got it over the line. Where the odds were truly against their injury-ridden squad, they made it work against a World Class Bayern Munich side.
Who would have thought that Ryan Bertrand would boss the left-wing up against an in form Philip Lahm? Dreams came true in a peculiar fashion but the players could hold their heads high knowing that they deserved this achievement. Ten years on, we take a look at exactly where each 2012 Champion of Europe is now.
READ MORE: Unrivalled Chelsea Champions League night of destiny remembered as Roman Abramovich era ends
Petr Cech
The unsung hero of the tournament. Chelsea's most decorated goalkeeper who had made the crucial penalty save from Ivica Olic in the penalty shoot-out is still at Chelsea. Following the final, he stayed with Chelsea until 2015 before making a move to Arsenal. The former Czech international spent four years in North London before retiring in 2019.
Cech has dabbled in ice hockey since then, and he is surprisingly very good. Honing his goalkeeping skills in the rink.
He has since returned to Chelsea where he now works as a technical/performance advisor and an emergency goalkeeper.
Jose Bosingwa
One of the more contentious members of the Chelsea starting XI, Jose Bosingwa left Chelsea after the Champions League win. He moved to Queens Park Rangers and was a part of their infamous relegation campaign from the Premier League in the 2012/13 season.
Bosingwa then made the switch to Turkey to join Trabzonspor and retired in the summer of 2016.
David Luiz
Another unsung hero. The Brazilian on the night of the final was asked to fill the void of club captain John Terry who was suspended. Luiz led the backline alongside Gary Cahill. Now, Luiz is not quite known for his stellar behaviour on the pitch, nor is he accredited for back-to-the-wall defensive performances. It was quite the scare knowing that he would be the man to keep Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez quiet.
The Brazilian remained with Chelsea until 2014 when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £50million, the highest fee for a defender at the time.
Two years later, Luiz was back at the club and remained until 2019, with a Premier League title to his name. Since then he signed with Arsenal and left in 2021 for Brazil where he now plays for Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.
Gary Cahill
The luckiest player in the Chelsea squad if you ask me. Gary Cahill had signed midway through the 2011/12 season from Bolton and then went on to become one of Chelsea's most decorated players. John Terry, Ashley Cole, Jose Bosingwa, had waited years to win the Champions League, but Cahill only had to wait five months. Incredible!
As well as the Champions League, he went on to win two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two Europa League titles, and a League Cup.
Despite being named as John Terry's successor in 2017, the former Chelsea captain was moved on in 2019 after being frozen out by Maurizio Sarri. He signed with Crystal Palace and is now with the newly-promoted Bournemouth.
Ashley Cole
When you think of English left-backs, it doesn't get better than this man right here. Ashley Cole is one of the most decorated English players in the sport. Admired by many as one of the best left-backs in the world during his peak years, Cole remains a legend in the Chelsea camp.
Ashley Cole moved to Roma in the 2014 summer after losing his place to current club captain, Cesar Azpilicueta. He spent 18 months in Italy before moving to the LA Galaxy.
He then spent half a season at Derby under Lampard, retiring after the play-off final defeat to Aston Villa, where none other than Terry was stood in the dugout as Dean Smith's assistant.
Cole was brought to work as an academy coach at Chelsea by Lampard and also has done some punditry work on Sky Sports. Loyal to his fellow teammate, he now works alongside Frank Lampard at Everton.
John Obi Mikel
John Obi Mikel, a player that you hate to love. He wasn't the flashiest player, but he knew how to take the sting out of the opposition's game. The midfielder remained with Chelsea until the 2016/17 season, however, after falling out of the first team he eventually moved to Chinese side Tianjin TEDA in January 2017 on a free transfer.
Mikel spent two years in China before signing a six-month contract with Middlesbrough in the Championship.
His time under Tony Pulis was short-lived. He signed with Turkish side Trabzonspor at the end of the 2018/19 season, only to leave nine months later due to concerns that play was continuing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In the summer, he signed a free-agent deal with Stoke City. He made 30 appearances in all competitions last season before cancelling his contract. Following on from Stoke, he moved to Kuwait SC in 2021 and also terminated that contact after four months where he only played five matches.
Frank Lampard
When we speak of legends from 2012, Lampard's name is one of the first that comes to mind. Perhaps the most obvious post-playing trajectory, Lampard left Chelsea as a player in 2014. He initially signed a two-year contract with New York City FC to begin playing in January 2015.
However, it was later revealed that he never signed an official contract. Instead, he spent the 2014/15 season with Manchester City, the parent club of the MLS' second New York franchise. In his time with the Cityzen's he'd scored against Chelsea in their 1-1 draw at the Etihad, but all has been forgiven by the fans.
Lampard did eventually join NYCFC at the end of the 2014/15 season. He endured a difficult time in America and retired in February 2017 having spent just 18 months in New York.
Lampard subsequently moved into coaching. He spent one season with Derby, leading them to the playoff final, before then replacing Sarri at Chelsea. He spent just over 18 months as Chelsea head coach before being sacked earlier this season, with Thomas Tuchel replacing the former midfielder.
Now he manages Everton and is facing a difficult relegation battle.
Solomon Kalou
A reliable and versatile back-up, Salamon Kalou was surprisingly released by Chelsea after the 2012 Champions League triumph. Probably one of the most baffling decisions from a fan perspective, but the player later revealed that he preferred a move away.
The winger signed with French club Lille on a free transfer. He spent two seasons there, scoring 30 league goals in 67 games.
He then moved to Hertha Berlin, averaging around a goal every three games over the five seasons he spent there.
In July 2020, Kalou signed an 18-month contract with Brazilian side Botafogo which he left by mutual consent at the start of April 2021.
Juan Mata
It is easy to forget just how sensational Juan Mata was between 2011 and 2013. Chelsea's Player of the Season for his first two campaigns at the club, Jose Mourinho's return in 2013 ended any chance of the flair midfielder shining.
Six months after Mourinho's arrival, Mata was moved on, signing with Manchester United in a £37million deal.
Mata remains at United, though now only plays a squad role. He has made north of 250 appearances for the club.
Ryan Bertrand
A young left-back thrust in at left midfield making his Champions League debut symbolised the haphazard, underdog nature of Chelsea's XI that day. But that is the role that Ryan Bertrand filled admirably.
Bertrand was never quite able to establish himself as Cole's successor at left-back. He eventually left Chelsea in 2014, signing on loan with Southampton.
He then made that switch a permanent one and has since gone on to prove his Premier League quality, making north of 200 appearances for the Saints. Bertrand recently made a switch from Southampton to Leicester City last summer but injuries have slowed his chances of playing for them as much as he would have liked this season
Didier Drogba
The man for the moment, Didier Drogba's final kick of a ball in a Chelsea shirt before his return later in the decade was his Champions League-winning penalty. If this night was anyone's, it was Drogba's.
The legendary centre-forward moved to China after bowing out in glory, then signed with Galatasaray in 2013. He returned to Chelsea in 2014/15 under Mourinho before moving to America, first as a player with Montreal Impact and then as a player-owner with Pheonix Rising.
Drogba retired in 2018 and has since focused on off-field charity work, especially in his native Ivory Coast.
Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda, like Kalou, was a versatile and reliable attacking player who was an ever-present and consistent servant for Chelsea over the year.
Malouda's time at the club ended on a sour note. He endured a difficult 2011/12 season and attempted to force an exit in the summer. He was eventually released in 2013.
Following his exit, he spent time in Turkey, France, India, and Luxembourg, retiring in the latter country. He then joined Zurich as a coach in early 2019 but was released after just two months
Fernando Torres
Most famous for sending Gary Neville to nirvana against Barcelona earlier in Chelsea's run to the Champions League title, Fernando Torres endured a difficult time after his departure from Liverpool.
Injuries struck the Spanish legend down and he was never able to replicate the same form that made him a Merseyside hero.
In 2014, he signed with AC Milan on a two-year loan deal. The move was made permanent just six months into the two-year period before being loaned to Atletico Madrid two days later.
Torres spent the 2015/16 season on loan in Madrid too before signing with the Spanish side on a permanent basis. In the end, he spent three and a half years at the club, scoring 38 goals in 160 games.
He since retired in 2019 after a season at Sagan Tosu. He was appointed Atletico Madrid U19 head coach at the start of this season as he gains experience at the club he learnt his trade as a youngster.
