Chelsea captain John Terry said he finds it “unbelievable” that Avram Grant’s position as head coach is still being questioned by critics after the Blues defeated Liverpool, 3-2, at Stamford Bridge and, 4-3, on aggregate to advance to the club’s first-ever Champions League final. Two goals from Didier Drogba and a penalty from Frank Lampard were enough to send Chelsea into a dream final against Manchester United, which beat Barcelona in the other semifinal on Tuesday. After a Fernando Torres equalizer canceled out Drogba’s well-taken opener, Lampard, still in mourning following his mother’s passing, coolly tucked away a penalty in overtime before Drogba’s second sealed the win. Ryan Babel added a late consolation goal for Liverpool.
After making history, Terry believes that Grant’s future should not be questioned. “To get to where we are and still question the manager’s role at the club is unbelievable,” the Chelsea captain said. “But it is not just the manager, it is the players, and [assistant] Henk [ten Cate] and [assistant Steve Clarke], who have a big role to play behind the scenes. They keep players motivated. We have got such a big squad of players and they manage to keep those not playing motivated and that is a credit to them.” He added: “Results don’t lie. Avram plays a massive part along with…everyone at the club. It is a credit to ourselves and the way we have dealt with things this year because at times it has not been easy.”