God. I still remember watching that match in 2008. Rain pouring down in Moscow, penalties looming, and there goes JT slipping like he's on a bloody ice rink. That image is burned into my brain - the Chelsea captain sliding, the ball hitting the post, and Man United players erupting while Terry collapsed to the ground.

But here's where it gets juicy.

Claude Makelele has just dropped a bombshell that's got Chelsea fans everywhere choking on their morning coffee. According to the former midfield maestro, Terry was NEVER supposed to take that penalty in the first place.

The Dressing Room Was "Like Fire"

Makelele, now 52, revealed on The LineUp (that show from BetMGM and talkSPORT) that the original plan had Salomon Kalou lined up for the fifth penalty. Not Terry. But apparently, our beloved captain decided to play hero ball at teh worst possible moment.

"The dressing room after the game was like fire. There was no happiness whatsoever – it was a sad place to be," Makelele explained. "We made a big mistake ahead of the penalties. We had an order which was agreed with the players and the manager, but it changed at the last minute."

I remember texting my Chelsea-supporting mate right after that miss. His response: "I'm going to bed for a week." Poor bloke didn't emerge from his flat until Thursday.

When Leadership Goes Sideways

What's particularly fascinating (and heartbreaking) about Makelele's revelation is how he frames it as a leadership failure. The Frenchman didn't mince words:

"I was very angry when he missed the penalty because it was a chance that I knew a lot of the young players wouldn't get. I'd won the Champions League before but, in this moment, John had to be the leader and do what was best for the team."

Then comes the killer line: "He didn't make sure we won the trophy, he tried to be a hero."

Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark.

Moscow Memories Still Haunt JT

I met a Chelsea kit man back in 2019 who told me they still don't mention "Moscow" around certain players. It's like saying "Voldemort" at Hogwarts. Some wounds never fully heal.

Terry himself has admitted how deeply that moment affected him. "I just remember standing looking over Moscow in my hotel, I was on about the 25th floor, just looking out," he recalled. "Just asking, 'Why? Why then? Why did it start raining? Why did I slip?' All of these things that go over [in your head]."

The aftermath was arguably worse. Three days later, England played a friendly against USA at Wembley. Terry scored a header from outside the box - an incredible goal under normal circumstances.

"That was probably the hardest moment," Terry confessed. "Because if I could swap any goal in my career it would be that. I scored a header from 18 yards and after the game it f***ing broke me."

Would Kalou Have Made It?

Listen. We'll never know if Kalou would've converted that penalty. Maybe he would've slipped too. Maybe Van der Sar would've made a save for the ages. Football's cruel like that - full of what-ifs and maybes that keep you up at 3am staring at the ceiling.

But what we do know is that Terry - our captain, leader, legend - made a decision that backfired catastrophically. And now, 17 years later, one of his former teammates has thrown him under the bus for it.

Football, eh? Brutal as a winter training session in nothing but shorts.

The Slip That Launched a Thousand Memes

I spent £120 on tickets to watch that final with friends at a cinema in London. We were all decked out in Chelsea gear, beers flowing, confidence high. When Terry stepped up, my mate Dave was so certain he'd score that he started celebrating BEFORE the kick. Talk about tempting fate.

The slip happened. The cinema went silent. Dave threw his full pint at the screen adn got us all kicked out.

Some friendships never recover from nights like that.