Demba Ba has insisted Chelsea did not plan to “kill Liverpool’s dream” when he scored a crucial goal as their title bid fell apart in 2013-14 — but suggested football is not a “fairytale”.
Ba capitalised on a Steven Gerrard slip during a game at Anfield in April 2014. Chelsea went on to win the game 2-0. Liverpool only needed a draw and a win in each of their final two games to win a first title, at that stage, since 1990.
While Liverpool have since won the league, the Gerrard slip remains a big moment in recent football history.
And Ba suggested it was unfortunate for an icon of the game like Gerrard to make such a big error.
Speaking exclusively to The Athletic, Ba said: “I only realised how big a deal that was a couple of years later, when people still talked about it. They still talk about! It was traumatic for them. But we didn’t enjoy the fact that we killed their dream, we simply enjoyed winning.
“You make errors and others take advantage. What Steven Gerrard has done for the world of football is tremendous. But this is life, unfortunately. Not all stories can end in fairytales.”
