2012 UEFA Champions League final

2012 UEFA Champions League final
Match programme cover
Event2011–12 UEFA Champions League
After extra time
Chelsea won 4–3 on penalties
Date19 May 2012 (2012-05-19)
VenueAllianz Arena, Munich
UEFA Man of the MatchDidier Drogba (Chelsea)[1]
Fans' Man of the MatchPetr Čech (Chelsea)[2]
RefereePedro Proença (Portugal)[3]
Attendance62,500[4]
WeatherPartly cloudy
20 °C (68 °F)
38% humidity[5]
2011
2013

The 2012 UEFA Champions League final was an association football match which took place on Saturday, 19 May 2012 between Bayern Munich of Germany and Chelsea of England at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The match was to decide the winner of the 2011–12 season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament. Bayern were making their ninth appearance in the competition's final, having won four and lost four, most recently losing in 2010. Chelsea were appearing in their second final, having lost their first in 2008.

It was the first Champions League final to be held at the Allianz Arena (known as Fußball Arena München for the final). As tenants of the Arena, this meant Bayern were the first finalists to have home advantage since 1984. Both teams progressed to the knockout stages by finishing top of their group. Bayern then beat Basel, Marseille and Real Madrid to reach the final, while Chelsea knocked out Napoli, Benfica and defending champions Barcelona.

Bayern took the lead late in the second half through Thomas Müller,[6] but Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea five minutes later to take the game to extra time, in which Arjen Robben missed an awarded penalty, Petr Čech saving the low drive. The teams stayed level at 1–1 and the match went to a penalty shoot-out, which Chelsea won 4–3 to clinch their first Champions League title.[7] In doing so, they became the first London club to win the tournament, the fifth English club and 22nd overall.

As winners, Chelsea took part in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup, losing 4–1 to Atlético Madrid, the winners of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. The victory also allowed them to enter the following season's Champions League competition (having failed to qualify for it by their league finishing position) at the expense of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who would otherwise have entered the competition having finished fourth in the Premier League. Chelsea also represented UEFA at the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the semi-final stage; however, they were beaten 1–0 by Corinthians in the final.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference player_rater was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference player_rater2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Proença to officiate UEFA Champions League final". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference attendance was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Tactical Line-ups – Final – Saturday 19 May 2012" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 19 May 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  6. ^ Tim Rich (24 May 2013). "Thomas Muller: Bayern Munich couldn't handle losing a Champions League final again". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference guard12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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