Terry to turn off for Champions League final
LONDON - The pain of Chelsea's last-gasp semi-final elimination is still too raw for captain John Terry and striker Didier Drogba to watch Wednesday's Champions League final.
Chelsea, last season's losing finalists, missed the chance for another tilt at the title they so covet after a stoppage time equaliser from Andres Iniesta put Barcelona through to meet Manchester United on the away goals rule earlier this month.
"I won't watch the game," Terry told reporters after training for Saturday's FA Cup final against Everton.
"I'll probably flick on to see the score at half-time and full-time but that's it, otherwise I'll just get angry."
Chelsea players are still indignant at refereeing decisions during the semi-final when several penalty claims were turned down.
"I'll probably bath the kids and put them to bed and give them an early night," said Terry. The central defender has three-year-old twins.
"I'm probably not over it myself fully. We just felt as a group of players that the decisions went against us and we should be there."
Terry, who joined the club as a trainee at 14 and is dubbed Mr Chelsea, wept after his scuffed penalty shootout miss in last year's Moscow final against United.
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Drogba, whose angry verbal attack on Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo following the Barcelona game has led to a UEFA misconduct charge against player and club, also said he would avoid the final.
"No I won't be watching I think I'll take my kids out," he said.
Departing coach Guus Hiddink said his anger at what he described as a sequence of injustices during the semi-final had calmed enough for him to watch and hope for some good football at the Stadio Olimpico.
"Bit by bit, day by day I'm getting a little bit rid of the anger but still if you push the red button you will get a little bit," said Hiddink, who is leaving to return to his job coaching the Russian national side full time.
"I will be watching but if I get a phone call from my uncle at that time I will answer it, which I don't normally do," he joked.. "It's no lack of respect for Manchester United or Barcelona, it's just the anger that remains."
Asked who he thought would win, the 62-year-old Dutch coach said he had not given it enough thought or care.
"Maybe that the best team wins would be the most diplomatic thing to say. I hope to see a beautiful game," Hiddink said. "I'm not in favour of any team, I'm in favour of good football."
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