"Now climbs to career high."
The British publication The Sun reported on the 1st (Korea time) that "Demba Ba of the English Premier League (PL) is poised for another career high moment following the scene where he brought down Steven Gerrard" and noted that "Demba Ba is being mentioned as the Director General of a French Ligue 1 club."
Any Korean overseas soccer fan interested in the PL would likely remember a certain match, particularly a specific scene. That being the Liverpool-Chelsea match in the 37th round of the 2013-2014 PL. At the time, Liverpool, aiming for their first PL title, could secure the championship by achieving at least a draw against Chelsea and winning their final match against Crystal Palace.
However, Chelsea, already out of the title race, troubled Liverpool with strong defense that day. In added time of the first half, Gerrard failed to respond correctly when receiving a pass from Sakho. Seeing this, Demba Ba quickly reacted to try to snatch the ball, causing a startled Gerrard to slip and fall.
With no defenders in sight, Demba Ba succeeded in scoring, taking a 1-0 lead. Right after the opening goal, Chelsea switched to Jose Mourinho's trademark ten-man defense, troubling Liverpool. Despite Liverpool aggressively attacking, they could not find the back of the net, and in added time of the second half, Willian scored an additional goal after receiving a pass from Fernando Torres, finalizing the match at 2-0.
In the final match against Crystal Palace, they were also leading 3-0 but conceded three goals in a row due to goal difference, resulting in a draw that dashed Gerrard's PL title hopes. Under coach Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool did secure the league title in the 2019-2020 season, but Gerrard was not part of that success.
The severe blunder left Gerrard with significant mental distress to the point of contemplating suicide right after the Chelsea match. As a one-club man, he was so shaken by the failure that he joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club LA Galaxy the following season.
There is something that illustrates Gerrard's feelings well. The title of the first chapter of Gerrard's autobiography is 'Slip.' It was an unforgettable moment for both Liverpool and Gerrard. Mourinho, who was the opposing coach at the time, explained that Chelsea was motivated against Liverpool due to pressure from the PL headquarters.
Mourinho recalled, "At that time, we were about to play the second leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) semifinals against Atletico Madrid at home, and the league ranking was practically secured, so the motivation dropped relatively." He noted, "But the PL headquarters made us angry."
Regarding the reason for his anger toward the PL headquarters, Mourinho explained, "We wanted to change the league schedule to another day for the UCL schedule, but the headquarters insisted on a difficult schedule under the pretext of the broadcasting network." He continued, "Ultimately, as we faced a tough schedule before the semifinals, we decided to take our frustration out on Liverpool."
Mourinho said, "Using most of the starters was one reason. Seeing shirts that said 'Champions' Liverpool when we got off the bus reignited our fighting spirit. Such things shouldn't have been shown to us." He added, "Thanks to that, we were able to fight splendidly. Gerrard's misfortune is unfortunate, but it is part of football. It was a good game for us," he smiled.
After this match, Demba Ba became a cult hero. Recently, he also participated in a legends match between Chelsea and Liverpool to review that specific moment. Demba Ba, who enjoys immense popularity in Korea, is also referred to as a cult hero overseas.
Demba Ba is successfully continuing the second act of his football career. The Sun reported, "Demba Ba is a strong candidate for the position of sports Director General at Stade Rennais. Given that current Director General Frederic Massara is underperforming, it is likely Demba Ba will be appointed in his place." The report also noted, "Demba Ba is keen on working as Massara's successor."
[OSEN]