Petr Cech remembers Chelsea heroics v Portsmouth & matching Crazy Gang achievement | OneFootball

The iconic former shot-stopper has fond memories of Chelsea's cup triumph against the now-Championship side

The FA Cup is, unarguably, the most historic cup competition in world football, providing many opportunities for players up and down the English pyramid to write their names into its folklore and that of their clubs.

Indeed, that has certainly been the case this season also, and there are now just four teams left with a shot at glory, with the EFL's sole representatives, Southampton, facing off against last year's losing finalists and seven-time winners, Manchester City on Saturday evening, 24 hours before Chelsea face off against Leeds United in North London.

The Championship side certainly have their work cut out if they are to achieve the unthinkable, even if they are on a 20-game unbeaten run in all competitions, which includes fifth round and quarter-final successes in the FA Cup against Fulham and Arsenal, as they bid to win the trophy for just the second time, as well as reaching the showpiece event for the first time in 23 years.

In recent times, not many clubs outside the so-called 'big six' have tasted success in the FA Cup, although current Championship and League One sides in the form of Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic and Leicester City can say they did all they could to buck such a trend within the past 20 years.

Pompey ran out 1-0 winners in the 2008 final against Cardiff City under Harry Redknapp, and found themselves back at Wembley twice more two seasons later, even if their 2009/10 league campaign was marred by a points deduction and relegation back to the Championship as a result of financial uncertainty.

However, they were in another FA Cup final against Chelsea in May 2010 having defeated Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur side 2-0 in the semi-final, although it wouldn't go their way this time as a result of Didier Drogba's winner on 58 minutes.

And, it's fair to say that this encounter still sticks in the mind of legendary Stamford Bridge figure and Czech goalkeeper, Petr Cech.

Petr Cech remembers Chelsea's FA Cup final heroics in 2010 v Portsmouth

Drogba's goal would go down in history at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea subsequently achieved a Premier League and FA Cup 'double' in Carlo Ancelotti's first season at the club, as well as winning the cup for the third time in four seasons either side of Pompey's success over Cardiff.

Having discussed his memories of the 2007 final win against Manchester United - the first at the new Wembley - Cech then reminisced over his part in the 2010 success, during which he joined Dave Beasant of Wimbledon and Mark Crossley of Nottingham Forest - at the time - as the only three shot-stoppers to save a penalty in the FA Cup final, having thwarted Ghanaian international Kevin-Prince Boateng.

"In 2010, we won the double, and I saved the penalty there. We'd probably have lost if they scored," he told Ashley Cole and Joe Cole on Could It Be Magic Podcast, brought to you by Carling, the official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup.

"Give credit to Portsmouth though," Ashley Cole added, before Cech continued: "We had chances, and that was one you always look back on and think, 'OK, I saved a penalty in an FA Cup final'.

"I might have only been the second one at the time, Dave Beasant did it (before), so you feel that's a special moment.

"I saved the penalty, I launched a long ball and then was the foul when Didier (Drogba) scored (from the free-kick)," he added.'

"It came in one minute and completely changed the game."

Coventry City boss, Frank Lampard, but still emerged victorious.

Portsmouth FC have been on an emotional rollercoaster since 2010 FA Cup final loss

It has been well-documented since then that Pompey and their supporters have been on an emotional rollercoaster, as they ended up in League Two just three years later as a result of ever-growing financial issues.

They would eventually make their way back up to the Championship last season under John Mousinho's management, and under a tight budget, the South Coast side have rubber-stamped their safety in the division for a second successive campaign and will now hope to move forward.

It remains to be seen when the next time they will compete in an FA Cup final will be, and it shows how competitive their squad was at the time, despite the adversity, that Cech still remembers his game-changing save with great fondness.