After the 5-1 trouncing over MK Dons, Chelsea captain John Terry revealed in his post-match interview that the club have decided not to renew his contract, which expires in the summer.
Twitter: BREAKING: John Terry to leave @ChelseaFC at end of season after not being offered new deal – with @VodafoneUK #SSNHQ https://t.co/C3Tt0zZpwx (@SkySportsNewsHQ)
The big win in Milton-Keynes left Chelsea fans buzzing over their club’s performance both today and over the last few weeks.
However, all of that changed when Chelsea drew the toughest possible opponent, Manchester City, in the next round of the FA Cup and Terry announced his departure from the club, all within an hour’s time.
For some reason, the club decided to inform Terry of the news now instead of near the end of the season. Matt Hughes of The Times made a great point:
Twitter: Terry revealing he’s leaving @CFC strongly suggests it wasn’t his decision and he’s not happy about it. (@MattHughesTimes)
It is clear that leaving Chelsea, unless through retirement, would never be Terry’s own decision. Back in May, shortly after lifting the Premier League trophy, he said:
I don’t want to play for another club, I’ve been here since I was 14. I love the club, Chelsea is my family.
Here are the captain’s heartbreaking quotes from today, via ITV:
To be honest, I was in last week before the Arsenal game and it’s not going to be extended. It’s my last run in the FA Cup so I want to make it a good one.
It’s a big season for me and I want to push on – not just in this competition but in the Premier League as well. I knew before the Arsenal game so mentally I’ve kind of accepted it. We just have to move on. They said that when the new manager comes in, things might change. It’s a no at the minute. I needed to know now like I have done every January and sometimes it takes a couple of months to get done. Unfortunately it was a no. It’s not going to be a fairytale ending, I’m not going to retire at Chelsea. It’s going to be elsewhere which it took me a couple of days to get over.
But like I say, I knew before the Arsenal game and my performance isn’t going to change – the way I train, what I give for the club. I want to give everything and finish on a high, on 100 per cent good terms with the club.
The news has not been met well by Chelsea fans, and it’ll be interesting whether we hear any official word from the club in the coming days.
