Champions League: Roman Abramovich Finally Gets the Trophy He Wanted All Along

Roman Abramovich finally got his wish—a Champions League trophy.

The Chelsea boss has been fixated on winning Europe's most prestigious tournament since his arrival to the London club in 2003 and thanks to Didier Drogba and Petr Cech, that dream finally became a reality.

Many will question how much it has cost Chelsea and their Russian owner—and rightly so—yet in the wake of their eventual triumph, all will have seen worth it.

Abramovich's obsession was described by one of his associates prior to the final:

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"It's the one piece of the jigsaw he doesn't have and in his world, everything should be complete. The Champions League is just one more prize, but it's the prize—the one he has not won. The Premier League title has been secured on three occasions, the domestic cups but he has been denied the full set. He wants to win it because, quite simply, he hasn't won it yet..."

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Until now.

According to Daniel King of the Sun newspaper, the total cost for Abramovich's expenses since his arrival at Chelsea has reached over £1billion—spent on player transfer and wages for 66 of the world's elite attacking and defending options.

The cost had never seemed like enough as time and time again, Chelsea would fall short in their quest to win the Champions League. They would win the English Premier League title and the FA Cup but there was always that one trophy that had eluded them.

Eight managers have come and gone—most of which were let go for failing to win in the Champions League. Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas were all victims of Abramovich's fixation with European glory, and once again, the cost of Chelsea's win must be taken in to consideration.

But for the Blues—who became the first London team to lift the trophy—the cost seems worth it. Just ask John Terry, who said after the match:

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"This is ­wonderful for the owner. He was in tears at the end, but he has put so much into achieving this..."

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It might have taken nine years, but he finally has his Champions League title.

It might have taken millions of dollars and a plethora of players and managers, but the he finally has the trophy that he wanted: the only trophy that he really wanted all along.

Questions about the future of manager Robert Di Matteo and striker Didier Drogba will no doubt feature prominently in the weeks to come and we'll no doubt find the answers to those questions soon enough.

But right now, as Chelsea celebrate their stunning victory and Bayern Munich contemplate what could have been in 2012, Roman Abramovich must surely be breathing a deep sigh of relief and an even deeper sense of contentment.

For the only thing greater than being named the champions of Europe after all those years is the chance to do it all over again next year.

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