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Fifty years after the Munich air crash that claimed eight of his team-mates, a tearful Sir Bobby Charlton saw Manchester United crowned champions of Europe for the third time last night, holding their nerve in a penalty shoot-out on an evening when emotions were frayed and tempers flared in the Luzhniki Stadium. Didier Drogba was sent off on what may prove an inglorious Chelsea swansong.

Sir Alex Ferguson suggested that fate had helped United to mark the anniversary of the Munich disaster by winning the Champions League, but the evening took them on a rollercoaster ride that encompassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s early goal, an equaliser from Frank Lampard, a red card for Drogba in extra time after he slapped Nemanja Vidic during a 19-man mêlée and, ultimately, the shoot-out.

Ronaldo, astonishingly, had his penalty saved and, four successful kicks later, John Terry had the chance to win it, but the Chelsea captain, deputising for Drogba, slipped as he shot and the ball shaved the outside of a post. With the fourteenth kick, Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka and the European Cup was United’s. Terry was in tears as Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs lifted the trophy.

It means footballing immortality — if that was not already assured — for Ferguson, who has a second European Cup to add to the one he won in 1999, and a more uncertain future than ever for Avram Grant, the Chelsea first-team coach. With Roberto Mancini expected to leave Inter Milan, Frank Rijkaard available having left Barcelona and Guus Hiddink yet to commit his future to the Russia national team, Grant must fear that he will pay the price of failure in front of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s billionaire owner, who had dreamt of Champions League success in Moscow.

It was an historic night in many ways for United, with Giggs, a second-half substitute, eclipsing Charlton’s record of 758 appearances for the club. Charlton, now 70, climbed the steps to pick up a plaque on the club’s behalf, while his four fellow Munich survivors — Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes, Albert Scanlon and Kenny Morgans — looked on.

“I had said beforehand that we wouldn’t let down the memory of the Busby Babes,” Ferguson said. “Even John Terry slipping as he took the penalty might have been fate. Who knows? We had a cause and people with causes can be very difficult to barter with.

“It’s a fantastic achievement. When we [Ronaldo] missed the penalty we thought we were in trouble, but I’m delighted for my players. I think this has the makings of my best team.”

Ronaldo admitted that he had feared he would end up as the villain of the piece. “At that moment I think we’re going to lose,” he said. “I miss the penalty, the worst day of my life, but now it’s the happiest day of my life. It means everything for me.”

Ferguson had woken to learn of reports in Spain that Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, had been involved in talks with the Real Madrid sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, in Moscow on Tuesday. However, David Gill, the United chief executive, said:

“Unequivocally, Cristiano will be with us next season.”