RO-MAN’S best friend is his Drog.
So it seems absolutely barking that Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich refuses to throw the legendary striker a juicy bone and give him the two-year contract he craves.
Drogba has delivered the trophy Abramovich was so desperate for since taking over the Blues nine years ago.
And the bearhug embrace between the pair showed how much this victory meant to both of them.
But the Ivorian’s winning penalty in the dramatic shootout could be his last kick for the club.
If it turns out that the Drog’s Chelsea career has to die — what a way to go.
Blues chairman Bruce Buck told how the 34-year-old veteran addressed the trophy in the middle of the dressing room, telling it of all the pain it had put him through over the years.
His sending off in Moscow in 2008, before the Blues lost on penalties to Manchester United, was his lowest point — this was the highest of highs.
Abramovich has drawn up all sorts of strategies to try to grab the Holy Grail. Then this year, when all the plans went flying out of the window, the jackpot comes up.
Interim boss Roberto Di Matteo was only supposed to be holding the fort for a few months.
Yet he has landed a cup double and is up there with Jose Mourinho in the hearts of the fans — even if he too might be out of a job soon.
Who would have thought it possible after the disastrous reign of young gun Andre Villas-Boas, 34, who alienated golden oldies like Drogba and Frank Lampard, 33, as he attempted a revolution.
The 3-1 defeat in Naples in the first leg of the last 16 all but sealed the fate of AVB — and the wildest optimist could not have imagined the team jumping up and down in celebration in Bayern’s backyard.
After a season such as this one, should we have been surprised? Stick your house on England for the Euros — football has gone completely mad.
Both Drogba and Di Matteo looked back to an incident in Naples as a key moment on this incredible journey.
Ashley Cole cleared off the line to stop Chelsea conceding a fourth goal which could have finished them off.
From there, under Di Matteo, they came back to win the return leg 4-1 and followed that by dispatching Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern.
To beat the Germans in a stadium full of Germans in Germany on penalties has to be the ultimate triumph for an English team.
Chelsea played it their way. It won’t have endeared them to devotees of the beautiful game as they dug in and soaked up the pressure just like they did at the Nou Camp.
But no team has the spirit like this lot, Fernando Torres apart who was in a right strop after being left out and stamped his feet again when, having come on as sub, was not one of the first five penalty takers nominated.
The way Torres danced around afterwards and jumped on Drogba, who was taking the acclaim of the supporters, was more than a little contrived.
No matter, this was not about Torres, this was about those who have given everything for the cause.
Cole was immense, new-signing Gary Cahill a colossus in the absence of the suspended John Terry, acting-skipper Frank Lampard sweated blood in midfield, John Obi Mikel was in the Claude Makelele bracket in the holding role and Petr Cech was back to his world-class best in goal.
Then there was young Ryan Bertrand, 22, thrown into the Lions den for his Champions League debut in a brave move by Di Matteo. He could have been mauled — but he was magnificent.
Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes called Chelsea ‘lucky’ and he had a point. There has long been a feeling their name was on this cup.
Former Blues boss and player Ruud Gullit reckons an angel has been sitting on the Chelsea crossbar — and a look at the stats say he is not wrong.
Bayern, being roared on in their very own home, had 35 shots to Chelsea’s nine and 20 corners to the Blues one.
But they certainly made that one corner count.
The game looked up for Chelsea when Thomas Muller arrived at the far post to head in with seven minutes left, the ball bouncing down and up over Cech.
The Allianz Arena exploded and the parties were starting on the streets of Munich.
Chelsea had threatened little. Then, with two minutes left, Juan Mata took a corner from the right and Drogba climbed to thump a header past Germany’s No 1 keeper Manuel Neuer in front of his adoring fans.
Nobody could quite believe what had happened.
Even in extra-time it was hard to imagine Chelsea winning — especially when Drogba caught the back of Franck Ribery’s heel and Bayern got a penalty.
Former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben took it and Cech virtually sat on the ball as he saved to his left.
Drogba has been more than fortunate when defending in his own box in this competition.
He also gave away a penalty in Barcelona only for the world’s best player Lionel Messi to hit the crossbar from the spot.
Robben was to bitterly regret his failure as the ref blew for full-time and we went to a penalty shootout.
While Torres stomped about, Di Matteo got his men focused on the task ahead.
First man up was Philipp Lahm, the home skipper who, with the massed ranks of Bayern fans behind the goal, just about forced the ball in despite Cech getting a hand on it.
Mata never looked confident as he went first for Chelsea and Neuer saved.
Bayern bagged their next two through Mario Gomez and Neuer himself while David Luiz, after an enormous run-up, and Lampard replied.
It was still not looking good until Ivica Olic was denied by Cech’s second penalty save of the night.
Cole stayed as cool as you would expect as he levelled the pens at three each with a tidy finish just inside the right-hand post.
So it came to Bayern’s midfield enforcer Bastian Schweinsteiger to take on the responsibility for penalty No 5.
He could not handle it and Cech produced a stunning save to deflect his shot on to the inside of a post, and the ball bounced harmlessly away.
The Bayern battler was reduced to tears — fearing what was about to come.
Chelsea had never been ahead at any point during the 120 minutes or the shootout.
But Drogba was not going to fail. With a swing of his right boot he sent Neuer the wrong way and Chelsea were in dreamland.
