Petr Cech’s defining moments at Chelsea: Horror at Reading, Glory in Munich

Petr Cech has called time on an astonishing goalkeeping career that will end once this season is over. The Arsenal keeper and Chelsea legend will hang up his gloves alongside the skull cap he has infamously worn since suffering a depressed skull fracture in the line of duty.

Ask a Chelsea fan for their memories of Petr Cech and two will immediately spring to mind – at least to this writer’s mind. The first occurred on the 14th October 2006 at the Madejski Stadium against Reading. A collision with the Royals midfielder Stephen Hunt in the first minute of the game changed Cech’s life forever. Doctors later revealed it very nearly finished it.

That game in itself was crazy: the previous season’s Premier League champions meeting the winners of the Championship. With Cech off the field and on his way to the hospital, Carlo Cudicini came off the bench to replace him. Remarkably, like Cech, the Italian failed to finish the game. Cudicini was knocked unconscious in the final minutes of the game whilst making a clearance from a corner. John Terry took on the gloves for the remainder of the game.

Amongst all of that chaos, Frank Lampard scored a ricocheting pinball goal from a free kick. It was the only goal of the game. Mikel John Obi picked up two yellow cards and was sent off, as was Reading’s Andre Bikey. After those injuries and Mikel’s dismissal, Chelsea finished the game with just nine players on the pitch.

It was quite a game: three keepers, two sendings-off and one goal.

Cech’s return to action in such a short time was a testament to the doctors involved in his recovery and the keeper’s own bravery and determination. By early November, just six weeks later, Cech was taking part in light training. He returned – plus protective head-gear – to first-team action on 20 January 2007 in a game Chelsea lost 2-0 against Liverpool. After that defeat, the Czech completed eight consecutive clean-sheets.

After that traumatic game, the other memorable Petr Cech highlight will be the one emblazoned on the heart and soul of every single Chelsea fan: Saturday, 19 May 2012. Chelsea had reached the final of the Champions League for the second time. It was a game that would, by chance, be played in the home stadium of their opponents Bayern Munich. Chelsea were clear underdogs.

Goals win football matches. The guy who spends a good deal of the game standing around watching the action unfold in front of him never gets the credit he often deserves. Once you get just one goal in front, any save made retains that lead. As an action, then, saves are vastly underrated.

In cricket, catches win matches. In football, saves… win matches.

On this particular night Chelsea never actually held the lead until the last crucial kick of the game. Bayern scored what looked to be a late winner in the 82′ when Thomas Muller headed the ball into the ground and it bounced off the bar and in. Step up Juan Mata who, in the 88′, fired in the corner that Didier Drogba so famously and spectacularly headed past Manuel Neuer.

Into extra-time and a foul by Drogba gave Bayern a penalty. Cech’s ex-Chelsea colleague Arjen Robben stepped forward and had his kick saved by Cech. Either side could have grabbed the crucial victory goal, but neither did and the match went to the dreaded penalty shoot-out. England versus Germany – only one winner here.

Juan Mata missed the Blues first spot-kick, putting his side under instant pressure. After the third round of kicks Bayern lead 3-2. Cech saved Bayern’s fourth kick, taken by Ivica Olic, and Chelsea were once again level. Ashley Cole fired in Chelsea’s penultimate penalty.

Each side had one shot left. Bastien Schweinsteiger was the man under enormous pressure to once again give the lead to the Germa’s. Petr Cech tipped the ball onto the post and as Didier Drogba walked forward there was only ever going to be one winner.

As the ball entered the net, Chelsea led the game for the first time, giving them the most instant of instant wins. Cech’s three penalty saves in the final of the biggest club competition in the world was the stuff of a true legend.

Cech’s personal legacy, when he finally walks away from the game he has given so much to will be a European Cup, a Europa League Cup, four Premier League titles, four FA Cup wins, and three League Cup victories with Chelsea.

He was Chelsea’s player of the year on seven occasions, a feat he matched in his home country in exactly the same years. He’s the first keeper to keep 200 clean sheets in the Premier League. Not only has Cech contributed so much to Chelsea’s rich, burgeoning history but he seems such a nice man. In this day and age that’s a trait anyone can be proud to boast about.

Let’s not forget it’s with Arsenal he will be finishing his career. As it stands, and it could change, Cech’s time in North London saw him win just one paltry FA Cup. For Chelsea fans, that’s perhaps his biggest legacy as he moves into retirement and considers his future. It’s good to know whilst getting his desired move, a move that kept him and his family in London, he didn’t take Arsenal to anywhere near the heights he took Chelsea.

It’s almost inevitable Petr Cech will end up back in SW6 in some capacity. The Blues support can look forward to welcoming him back to the Bridge like the true legend he is.