One of the most memorable moments of Chelsea’s victorious Champions League run in 2012 was the crushing moment after the historic semi final win against Barcelona where Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves informed Branislav Ivanovic live on TV that he wouldn’t be playing in the final because of a booking he had picked up against the Catalans.
It looked like a moment of pure cruelty, as the Serb’s heroic performance at the back was met with bad news rather than praise, but as Shreeves tells the story, there was more to it than that, and it wasn’t intended to be as bad as it ended up sounding.
“It was the perfect storm. We didn’t know if he had been booked. He thought he had been booked but he wasn’t sure,” Shreeves explained in quotes picked up by the Daily Mail.
“Madly, Roberto di Matteo – who was the manager at the time – didn’t remind the players who were on yellows that they were as he wanted them to be fully committed. So, in his head he still thinks he is playing.
“Therefore, when I said you know you’re playing in the final, he looked totally confused. So, now I have to tell him, no you’re not playing. You’re not getting this.
“It was just awful. Could I have done it better? Of course I could have. But, hindsight is a wonderful gift.”
His job is certainly harder than most people could imagine, and this kind of thing was bound to happen eventually. It’s a shame for Brana, but when he was bouncing on the crossbar in Munich before lifting the trophy, we’re sure he had forgiven Shreevesy.