Soccer
10:13, 16-May-2019
Chelsea legends Lampard, Terry to square off as coaches in Championship playoff final
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Long-time Chelsea teammates Frank Lampard and John Terry will face off as coaches when Derby County and Aston Villa contest the second-tier League Championship playoff final in a bid to return to the Premier League.
Derby, managed by Lampard, beat Leeds 4-2 in the second leg of their playoff semifinal on Wednesday and advanced 4-3 on aggregate. Both sides had a man sent off in a feisty match at Elland Road.
Leeds, already 1-0 up from the first leg, scored first in front of their own fans at Elland Road. But Marriott's first goal seconds before half-time got the Rams back into contention and he settled a match which ended with both sides down to 10 men by scoring again five minutes from full-time.
Derby manager Frank Lampard said the playoff win over Leeds United is his sweetest moment. /VCG Photo
Derby manager Frank Lampard said the playoff win over Leeds United is his sweetest moment. /VCG Photo
Derby's victory was all the more impressive given Lampard's sixth-placed side had only just scraped into the playoffs.
"I said to the lads that everyone had written us off. We needed the lads to show bravery on the ball and they did," Lampard told Sky Sports. "We have to enjoy the moment but now prepare for Aston Villa, but we'll be underdogs again."
Lampard is now one game away from taking the Rams back into the lucrative Premier League in his first season as a manager as Villa, where Terry is an assistant coach, also reached the May 27 final at Wembley Stadium by beating West Bromwich Albion in a penalty shootout on Tuesday. Their semifinal finished 2-2 on aggregate.
Both Lampard and Terry are taking their first steps in management this season after being key members of Chelsea teams that won the Champions League in 2012 and the Premier League in 2005, '06 and '10.
John Terry (C) took his first step into coaching last October when he was named as the assistant coach of Aston Villa. /VCG Photo
John Terry (C) took his first step into coaching last October when he was named as the assistant coach of Aston Villa. /VCG Photo
Villa are seeking a return to the top flight after an absence of three years. Derby hasn't been in the Premier League since 2008, when it was relegated after collecting just 11 points.
Norwich and Sheffield United were promoted automatically from the Championship after finishing as the top two in the regular season.
Source(s): AP
,AFP