Anelka sensationally reveal he ducked crucial spot-kick

• zocoss

  23 May 08, 23:43

  

  Le Sulk refused fifth penalty.

   

  NICOLAS ANELKA has sensationally revealed he REFUSED to take Chelsea's crucial fifth penalty in the Champions League final. The striker missed the seventh shootout spot-kick in Moscow to hand Manchester United European football's biggest prize. But Anelka rejected the chance to take the potential match-winning kick, leaving it to skipper John Terry instead.

  Terry slipped and cracked his effort against the post to hand United a vital lifeline — and Le Sulk claims he ducked the opportunity to clinch glory because he was upset at being thrown on as a late substitute.

  The Frenchman, 29, said: "I was asked to take one of the first five kicks. "But I said 'that is out of the question, I have come on basically as a right-back and you want me to take a penalty'. "So I had to go in seventh but Edwin van der Sar pushed away my shot. All the better for him, that is the game.

  "At no point did I think I was going to come on. I was on the bench for 110 minutes and suddenly I am asked to play, not even a minute after I was sent out to warm up. "I don’t know if that has ever happened in a Champions League final, in a match of that intensity, that a player has gone on to the pitch without having warmed up.

  "When you go on, you have to be ready to run." With Didier Drogba likely to be shown the door after his red-card shame, Anelka has added to the turmoil at Chelsea by insisting he wants to start as the main striker next season.

  "When I came here, people told me I would play in a 4-4-2. In England, I no longer need to prove that I am better through the middle. "Since I arrived, I haven’t played in my position. Never as a No9, always on the left or the right.

  "Until now, I haven’t said anything. I was a newcomer, I haven’t wanted to make a story out of it because I still didn’t know the club. "But from next season, I insist I will no longer be the little newcomer."

• SiMiLaiEh*

  24 May 08, 00:05

  u suck

• dinky1409

  24 May 08, 02:23

  oh my.. =( anelka is known for his attitude.. u treat him like that he confirm will make noise.. haiya.. like anderson also throw in last minute anderson face aso dulan.. but he feel like that understandable lah.. but if ur really playing for the team u have to be stronger and push away individual sentiments.. but i guess its difficult for some ppl to be mentally strong and mature..

   

  hes a great player and we all know what he is capable of.. the UCL final? he didnt played like he wanted it.. =(

• omgukilledkenny

  24 May 08, 12:05

  Lol..Ribery wont be helping.

  Franck Ribery admitted on Friday that he would mock international team-mate Nicolas Anelka over his penalty miss for Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final.

  Anelka, whose miss from twelve yards handed Manchester United European glory, is in the France squad for Euro 2008 along with Bayern Munich star Ribery.
   
  "Sure, I'll do it, [mock Anelka]" joker Ribery told Reuters, when asked whether his France team mate faced some ribbing for his shoot-out miss in Wednesday's final in Moscow.
   
  "Maybe not just yet, though," added Ribery, who was speaking at France's training camp outside Paris.
   
  "He could have an axe or a hammer in his bag."

• youyayu

  24 May 08, 13:43

  _!_ all i can say he is a faggot

• Dead_Man_Inc

  24 May 08, 15:37

  he's selfish, really

• Saltiga

  24 May 08, 15:55

  sole reason for Anderson to take the field in that match is with the penalty shot out in mind.. Ronney might have looked more pissed when he was taken out and replaced by Giggs..

• Y_Shun

  24 May 08, 19:45

  if he scored for that fifth one, it meant that chelsea might have won, isn't it?

• omgukilledkenny

  24 May 08, 19:48

  Originally posted by Y_Shun:

  if he scored for that fifth one, it meant that chelsea might have won, isn't it?

  If he take Terry's place, and score that 5th kick, means they win lor.

• snowfoxx

  24 May 08, 19:57

  i think hes dulan, cos grant never even ask he to warm up, if you noticed the bench.

  SAF's side half time already starting to warm up.

  I dun think that grant knows what to do in big games

• zocoss

  25 May 08, 21:38

  ANELKA CONCERNS FRANCE COACH

  

  Raymond Domenech is assessing Nicolas Anelka's state of mind before deciding whether to include the striker in the France squad for Euro 2008.

  Anelka has been selected in France's provisional 30-man squad for next month's tournament, but the party must be trimmed to 23 by Wednesday. After his penalty was saved in Chelsea's Champions League final shoot-out defeat to Manchester United in midweek, Anelka's psychological state is a concern for Domenech.

  The France coach feels sympathy for the forward, but could leave Anelka out of his plans, if he believes the spot-kick miss has affected the 29-year-old. "It is something I have to think hard about," Domenech told reporters at France's training headquarters at Clairefontaine.

  "How is he going to deal with this? I don't know. I'm waiting and we will talk about it. "We'll also have to see how the other players speak about it. If they wind him up, how will he react? It's difficult to say.

  "It's embarrassing for the person who misses. Furthermore, he is France and part of the French team. "I certainly felt for him. Nicolas was put in the position where he had to save the team because Ryan Giggs had scored his penalty."