Who will join Frank Lampard's Blues? Get our daily Chelsea newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

John Terry is no stranger to controversy - but even his harshest critics will raise an eyebrow at him getting the blame for the ongoing political turmoil in the Ukraine.

The former England skipper has been named as one of the reasons that the former Soviet state has been lurching from crisis to crisis, by its embattled president Viktor Yanukovych.

Pro-European demonstrators have staged large-scale protests in Kiev against president Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign a deal for closer integration towards the European Union.

The hardline leader is clinging on to power despite some serious unrest in his country recently as the protests have escalated - which he traces back to Terry during the European Championships in 2012 jointly held in Poland and Ukraine.

The Chelsea man cleared a ball that appeared to have crossed the line in a match which the hosts lost 1-0 and were knocked out.

And Yanukovych, who is facing calls to step down from opposition leaders such as former world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, said this was a major contributing factor during a 70-minute rant against his detractors to two visiting US senators.

Connecticut senator Chris Murphy described Mr Yanukovych's speech as "the longest monologue to which I have ever borne witness" in a blog on his website.

"He opens by restating his commitment to joining the EU, but spends most of the speech listing the slights he feels Europe has lodged against him and his country," he wrote.

"At one point he spends more than a few minutes talking about a disallowed goal by Ukraine in a 2012 Euro Cup match against England."