Football News : Lampard revels in Champions League success

By ESPN staff

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says winning the Champions League is "the best footballing night of my life".

Lampard, 33, helped his side beat Bayern in Munich on penalties on Saturday as Chelsea became the first side from London to win the competition.

"I'm pleased we haven't won it before, because it feels even more special," he was quoted as saying in the Sun. "That might sound stupid but to wait so long and to do it the way we did with the season we've had, the spirit in the team - it's amazing.

"I've been here 11 years and I've been waiting for this baby for a long time. I've never been so emotional in a game. Players were crying, tears in their eyes. Football can do that to people. It's the best footballing night of my life - the hour we spent on the pitch with the fans afterwards.

"Right now it feels like the crowning moment of my career. The feeling of not winning it for so long almost makes it feel better. No one wants to ha ve sad moments and miss out on it a lot.

"But the circumstances of the season, everything from where we were to where we are now, the circumstances make it feel absolutely massive. You can see that in the celebrations.

"If you had asked me three months ago if we would win this competition, I would have laughed. But we have done. The key players have been there a long time and we want to win, we are determined to win, in the dressing room we have a tough group.

"We struggled earlier in the season, confidence was low, but there is a real determination here, and when times are hard, we dig in. Teams are always changing, but why should we stop now? We want to carry on, move forwards.

"We've won the FA Cup and now the Champions League and the determination and spirit we have shown, it's been fantastic. Robbie's got to take a lot of credit and it shows an amazing spirit and group we've got here."