Bayern Munich's Champions League dream final turned into a nightmare on Saturday as Chelsea ruined its homecoming party to leave the German giant trophy-less for the second season in a row.

"It's like a nightmare," admitted Bayern's director of sport Christian Nerlinger.

"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."

The Bavarian giant has now lost two of the past three Champions League finals following its 2-0 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho-coached Inter Milan in Madrid in 2010.

"The disappointment is huge," said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after Chelsea's Didier Drogba scored the winning spotkick.

"The players were all sitting with their heads down in the dressing room, there wasn't much talking."

Bayern blew its second final in seven days as Ivica Olic and vice-captain Bastian Schweinsteiger missed penalties in the shootout which gave the Blues their first European title.

"That's football," said Bayern's Thomas Mueller, whose second-half header had put Bayern ahead before Drogba equalized two minutes from time as the game went to penalties after extra time.

"As we have often seen in the past, it's not always the deserving winner who is left holding the trophy," Mueller said.

"It's hard to put the disappointment into words, but football isn't everything."

Agence France-Presse in Munich

(China Daily 05/21/2012 page24)