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Chelsea have been crowned Champions League champions for the first time since their 2012 miracle victory over Bayern Munich after beating Manchester City 1-0 in the 2020-21 final on Saturday.
Kai Havertz’s first-half goal was enough to stun Pep Guardiola’s side at Porto’s Estadio Dragao in Portugal. The 21-year-old snagged a great through ball from Mason Mount that split the defense and passed it into a wide-open net just moments before halftime.
Saturday’s match also saw Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic make history as the first American male to play in a Champions League final when he replaced Timo Werner in the 66th minute. Of course, he also became the first American on a Champions League winner.
“I’m just so proud to be here,” Pulisic said, according to The Washington Post. “I couldn’t imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life, and now I’m here.”
Chelsea’s title comes during a season in which it fired its manager mid-campaign. Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in January and drove the Blues back into the top four of the Premier League.
Tuchel helped Chelsea sort things out defensively, which is a major reason why the club now sits atop all of Europe.
Manchester City has never won a Champions League title and supporters of the club will likely blame Guardiola for overthinking things on Europe’s biggest stage.
Guardiola drops to 14-2 in cup finals and still hasn’t won the Champions League since 2011 despite coaching powerhouse clubs such as Bayern Munich and now Man City.
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