Chelsea beat Bayern Munich on penalties to win the Champions League trophy for the first time in their history
(CNN) -- Disbelieving Chelsea fans have been celebrating with their Champions League-winning team in London on a victory parade the day after the club won the trophy for the first time in their history.
Chelsea's squad and temporary manager Roberto di Matteo traveled on two open-top buses, waving blue scarves as they showed off the famous trophy with the "big ears."
Cheering fans crowded onto the streets and even climbed up trees and lampposts and onto bus stops around southwest London to catch a glimpse of their heroes, including matchwinner Didier Drogba.
Chelsea, who overcame Barcelona in the semifinals, were 1-0 down against Bayern Munich with seven minutes remaining at the Allianz Arena, but Drogba conjured an 88th-minute equalizer.
The Ivorian striker then scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out with what could be his final kick for Chelsea. The 34-year-old's contract runs out this summer, and he has been linked with a move to China.
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It capped a remarkable few months for Chelsea, who sacked Portuguese manager Andre Villas Boas in late March with the team toiling in the Premier League and trailing 3-1 against Napoli after the first leg of their Champions League last 16 match.
Under Di Matteo, Chelsea somehow overturned the deficit against Napoli, but a miraculous victory over Barcelona managed to overshadow that.
Chelsea looked doomed again after skipper John Terry was sent off early in the second leg and they went 2-1 down on aggregate, but once again the Blues triumphed against the odds -- and repeated the trick against Bayern in the German's club's home stadium.
The win also guaranteed Chelsea a place in the Champions League next season after missing out via the Premier League by only finishing sixth. Tottenham, who finished fourth in the English league, will have to settle for the Europa League.
As the buses came to a halt on Sunday, Terry, who was suspended for the final but lifted the trophy with Frank Lampard, led the players and fans in a chant of "champions, champions, ole ole ole."
When the microphone was passed to Drogba, he was serenaded by both players and fans with "Didier Drogba, we want you to stay."
Roman Abramovich, the club's wealthy Russian owner, was also on the parade to witness the celebrations of Drogba, Fernando Torres, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech, Juan Mata, and countless other signings made under his big-spending ownership.
Winning the Champions League had been Abramovich's dream and plenty of managers were fired over their failure to deliver it, but Di Matteo's future is still far from secure.
Chelsea's players lift the Champions League for the first time after their dramatic win over Bayern Munich.
Chelsea win Champions League for the first time
The host venue for Saturday's Champions League final, Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, has a capacity of 69,000 that the German club sells out for every match.
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"Whatever the club decides I will respect, it's as simple as that," the Italian coach said after the match in Munich.
As the Chelsea fans celebrated, the mood in Munich was predictably somber.
Once the delirious opposition fans had departed -- an estimated 100,000 Chelsea supporters were in Munich -- the city was left to mourn what most of the German newspapers saw as a desperately unlucky defeat.
Sports daily Bild's headline read: "Schweini, we are crying with you!"
Bastian Schweinsteiger, the talisman of the Bayern team who came through the youth system at the club, hit the post with a hesitant penalty in the shoot out.
Former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben had missed a chance to wrap it up even before the shoot out when he had a penalty saved by Cech in extra time.
Chelsea had one corner in the entire match and scored from it through Drogba. Bayern had 20 corners, and 43 attempts on goal to Chelsea's nine.
"It's like a nightmare," Bayern director of sport Christian Nerlinger said. "When you see how the game played itself out, it's like a bad film.
"This is frustrating and depressing to digest. This defeat is very difficult to take."
Munich daily Süddeutsche Zeitung concluded: "How much bad luck fits into a single football match?"
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Chelsea fans packed the streets around southwest London to see the victory parade
Chelsea captain John Terry was suspended for the final but lifted the trophy in Munich and was center of the celebrations again on the parade
An estimated 100,000 Chelsea fans were in Munich for the final and thousands more lined the parade route on Sunday
Didier Drogba, who could leave the club in the summer, scored for Chelsea to take the game into extra time and converted the winning penalty
Bayern Munich's supporters packed their home Allianz Arena to see their heroes take on Chelsea.
Thomas Mueller celebrates his opening goal for Bayern Munich with just seven minutes remaining.
Didier Droga proved Chelsea's hero with a goal in normal time and the penalty shootout winner.
Arjen Robben is left stunned after his penalty effort is saved by Petr Cech and he cannot convert the follow up.
Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, on the other hand, has a capacity of just 41,837 -- but the English club has similar matchday revenue to Bayern due to higher ticket prices. However, owner Roman Abramovich is seeking to move to a bigger stadium.
Russian billionaire Abramovich has owned 100% of Chelsea since buying the club in 2003. Bayern, on the other hand, is 82% owned by fans -- most German clubs are governed by the "50+1" rule to protect them from aggressive takeovers.
German legend Franz Beckenbauer, left, lifts the European Cup in 1975 -- the second of Bayern's four triumphs. Chelsea skipper John Terry, right, missed a vital penalty in his club's only previous final appearance in 2008.
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes won Europe's top club tournament with Real Madrid in 1998, while Chelsea's interim manager Roberto di Matteo is seeking to follow up this season's English FA Cup final success.
Bayern will be without (from left) David Alaba, Holger Badstuber, Luiz Gustavo, as the trio are suspended after being booked in the second leg of the semifinal against Real Madrid.
Chelsea's dramatic semifinal win over defending champions Barcelona came at a cost as Terry (left) was sent off, and Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Meireles and Ramires picked up yellow cards to also be ruled out of the final.
Bayern's record signing is $40 million top scorer Mario Gomez. Chelsea splashed out twice that on Fernando Torres, who has struggled to find the net since leaving Liverpool in January 2011. Bayern's revenue is higher, but Abramovich has funded Chelsea's spending sprees.
Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna cut a forlorn figure after a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid condemned the 2006 European Champions League semifinalists to relegation from the Spanish top flight.
Manchester City beat archrivals and neighbors Manchester United to the English Premier League title on goal difference, after two goals in stoppage gave Roberto Mancini's side a 3-2 victory against Queens Park Rangers.
Defeat in Manchester would have sent QPR down, if Bolton Wanderers had beaten Stoke City. But Owen Coyle's team could only draw 2-2 at the Britannia Stadium, a result which ended Bolton's 11-year stay in the Premier League.
Veteran striker Alessandro del Piero celebrated his final game for Juventus in style, scoring as the Italian champions beat Atalanta 3-1. Juventus were undefeated throughout the 38-game league season.
Filippo Inzaghi marked his final game for AC Milan in similar style to Del Piero, netting the winner in a 2-1 defeat of Novara. Milan finished second, four points behind Juve.
Borussia Dortmund were crowned champions of Germany for a second year in a row, with Jurgen Klopp's side finishing eight points ahead of Champions League finalists Bayern Munich.
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