Chelsea's wait for Champions League glory must go on after former boss Jose Mourinho led current team Inter Milan into the quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate.
The Italians arrived at Stamford Bridge with a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg but outstanding defending from Lucio and Walter Samuel kept Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka at bay.
Asides from a very good penalty shout when Samuel pulled down Drogba at a corner, Inter were comfortable and posed a threat on the counter attack.
For Mourinho, it was a tense night. Undoubtedly, he was aching to progress. His departure from Chelsea was hardly a quiet affair and the opportunity to put one over Roman Abramovich must have been mouth-watering.
Inter struck the sucker punch in the final ten minutes as Samuel Eto'o raced onto a sumptuous through ball and drilled a clinical low shot into the bottom corner. The Blues suddenly need two goals to force extra time and they had nothing left.
There was still time, however, for Drogba to enhance his reputation as a sore loser. The Ivorian was sent off in the dying moments after appearing to stamp on Inter's Thiago Motta.
Mourinho's celebrations were modest in comparison to his touchline sprint years ago at Old Trafford but inside he will have been jubilant. It was an emotional return to Stamford Bridge but one he will remember for all the right reasons.
As for Carlo Ancelotti's side, they must bounce back and focus on the Premier League and FA Cup. For another season, the Champions League trophy has proved beyond them.
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