Chelsea
are planning a number of surprises for captain John Terry today as he plays
for the last time at Stamford Bridge after 22 years at the club.
And the club will give free beer, prosecco and water for supporters in
general admission areas to celebrate their Premier League title triumph.
One of the proposals that has been discussed as a tribute to Terry is
retiring his number 26 shirt when he leaves after next Saturday's FA Cup
final against Arsenal.
Even if the number 26 shirt is not officially retired, it is unlikely any
Chelsea player would ever wear the number again.
Gianfranco Zola's number 25 shirt was not officially retired, but it has not
been allocated to a Chelsea player since he left in 2003.
Terry is not guaranteed to start the final league game of the season against
Sunderland, with manager Antonio Conte saying on Friday he wanted his final
decision to be a "surprise".
Even though the title has already been secured, Conte has set his players
the target of beating Sunderland to become the first side to win 30 matches
in a 38-game season.
After the game, Terry will lift the Premier League trophy with vice-captain
Gary Cahill.
Terry has played 716 times for Chelsea and won 15 major trophies since he
joined the club when he was 14 in 1995.
Conte, who has been linked with a move away from the club, insists he has a
huge desire to continue winning trophies at Stamford Bridge.
"I think that we started to light the fire," Conte said.
"If you want to have a good season, you must have always this fire in your
soul, in your heart, in your head. It's very important."
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