John Terry opens up on dark thoughts after infamous Champions League final penalty miss

Updated: 16 Dec, 2025 • 0 • min read

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John Terry opens up on dark thoughts after infamous Champions League final penalty miss

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John Terry has spoken candidly about the dark moments he experienced following his infamous penalty miss in the 2008 Champions League final, admitting the incident haunted him long after Chelsea's heartbreak in Moscow.

The former Chelsea captain had the chance to win the club's first-ever Champions League title during the shootout against Manchester United.

But a slip at the crucial moment saw Terry hit the post, allowing United to go on and claim victory in sudden death.

Terry was left devastated after the match and has now revealed the troubling thoughts that followed later that night, when the enormity of what had happened truly sank in.

Speaking on the Mennie Talks podcast, Terry said:

After the game, we all went back to the hotel and I was on the 25th floor. I was looking out the window going, "Why? Just why?"

I'm not saying that if you had that opportunity you'd jump, but things go through your head at that particular time. Then the boys came up and took me downstairs.

It's those "What if?" moments where you just don't know.

A Moment That Defined a Career

The penalty miss became one of the most iconic moments in Champions League history, and one that overshadowed Terry's otherwise glittering career.

Despite winning five Premier League titles, multiple domestic trophies and eventually lifting the Champions League in 2012, Terry admits the memory of Moscow has never fully left him.

Even that long-awaited European triumph came with frustration, as Terry was suspended for the final after being sent off in the semi-finals.

A Haunting Memory That Never Fully Faded

Now retired, Terry says the incident affects him even more than it did during his playing days.

Still today it goes over in my head. It's softened over the years, for sure, but when you're playing, you kind of compartmentalise it a little bit and put it to the back of your head.

Now I'm retired I've not got that focus of playing every week and having that buzz, it still really gets me.

I still wake up in the middle of the night and go, "Oh, that did happen, yeah." I don't think that'll ever go.

Finding Out Who Truly Cared

Terry also reflected on how the aftermath of the miss revealed who genuinely supported him during his lowest moment.

When I missed the penalty in Moscow, you find out very quickly who your friends are and who the people who really care and look out for you are.

Ray [Wilkins] was the first one on the phone after that game making sure I was OK, and a few other people.

It's those moments that really make you realise that friends in football are few and far between. But the real ones, at the difficult moments, do kind of stand out.

Wilkins, a Chelsea legend and close confidant, continued to check in on Terry long after that night - a gesture the former captain says he will never forget.

Legacy Beyond One Moment

Whilst Terry's slip in Moscow remains one of football's most painful what-ifs, his honesty offers a rare glimpse into the mental toll elite sport can take - even on the game's toughest characters.

For all his trophies, leadership and longevity at Stamford Bridge, the former England defender's story serves as a reminder that even icons carry scars long after the final whistle.

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