Frank Lampard’s defense of John Terry for wearing the full kit in Munich was truly admirable

Frank Lampard delivered a perfect response when John Terry was playfully mocked for wearing the full Chelsea kit after the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.

May 19, 2023, commemorates the 11th anniversary of what is arguably the most memorable night in Chelsea’s history.

The Blues clinched their first-ever European title in 2012 by defeating Bayern Munich at the German club’s own stadium, completing an extraordinary cup run that is regarded as one of the greatest in football history.

After suffering a 3-1 defeat to Napoli in the Round of 16 first leg, few believed Chelsea had a chance of winning the Champions League.

The west London team, led by 34-year-old Andre Villas-Boas, was in a state of chaos and subsequently, Villas-Boas was sacked a couple of weeks later.

Roberto Di Matteo took over as caretaker manager until the end of the season, and under his guidance, Chelsea achieved remarkable victories against Napoli, Benfica, and notably, Barcelona.

In the final, Chelsea faced the formidable Bayern Munich, with their influential captain John Terry absent. The English side was widely expected to falter at the final hurdle.

The situation seemed dire when Thomas Muller scored to break the deadlock in the 83rd minute, but a thrilling late header from Didier Drogba forced the game into extra time.

In a tense turn of events, Petr Cech saved a penalty from former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben, prolonging the final until a penalty shootout.

Ultimately, it was Drogba who displayed composure as he confidently converted the decisive spot-kick, leading to euphoric celebrations in front of a shocked Bayern Munich.

On This Day in 2012, the greatest day in the history of Chelsea Football Club.

Champions League winners 🏆 #UCL #CFC pic.twitter.com/58YLMfu0gT

— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) May 18, 2022

The sound of the final whistle must have brought immense relief to Terry, given his well-known slip during a penalty shootout in the 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United, as well as his suspension for the 2012 final due to a needless red card received against Barcelona in the semi-finals.

However, Terry’s choice to wear the full kit during the post-match celebrations, including boots, shin pads, and sock tape, was met with ridicule from football fans and continues to be a subject of mockery even today.

Frank Lampard defended John Terry for wearing full kit in Munich

Years after the final, Terry was asked why he wore full kit in Munich by Holly Willoughby while appearing on comedy game show Play to the Whistle.

“Now, that did cause a bit of a stir, the reason being: you didn’t actually play in the final because of suspension and you took a little bit of stick wearing the kit for the presentation,” Willoughby said, before asking Terry: “How did you feel when all that unfolded afterwards? What was your reason for doing that.”

The retired defender laughed awkwardly and knew that further stick was coming his way, particularly with the likes of Bradley Walsh and Romesh Ranganathan in the vicinity.

Walsh joked: “JT, you’re amongst friends here, be honest: no-one’s gonna take the p***. Not even Romesh, who’s an Arsenal fan.”

At this point, Lampard raised his hand and interjected before Ranganathan could speak. Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer defended his ex-teammate in a moment that sums up the man’s class.

“Can I answer first,” the Premier League icon said, “because it’s not easy for John to say, right.

“Two major things. First, social media these days, it all exploded because of jealous people who didn’t like the fact that Chelsea won it, John won it, blah blah blah.

“Secondly, he was our captain for ten years before that roughly, so if he’d have wanted to go up in his Speedos and pick it up, he could have done what he liked.”

Watch the clip here:

Well said, Frank 👏 pic.twitter.com/NisxkAwN1h

— Best of Football (@BestofFootball8) May 19, 2022

Great stuff from Lampard.

You can tell from the look on Terry’s face that he thoroughly appreciated Lampard’s heartfelt words.

In addition, Lampard had raised a valid argument.

Terry consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment whenever he wore the blue shirt and captained Chelsea with distinction during the club’s most prosperous era.

Was it truly significant that he celebrated Chelsea’s greatest night while donning the full kit alongside his teammates?