Football debates don’t get much spicier than this one. With Chelsea and Tottenham set to clash in their upcoming derby, club legend John Terry has taken aim at former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara — and let’s just say, his response was as sharp as one of his tackles.

The Bold Claim That Sparked It All

It all started when Jamie O’Hara stirred the pot on talkSPORT, arguing that Tottenham Hotspur have historically been a “bigger club” than Chelsea.

His reasoning? He claimed the Blues only rose to prominence after billionaire owner Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 and poured in cash to “buy the league.”

O’Hara went on to say that, in his view, Chelsea “weren’t bigger than Tottenham before” Abramovich’s takeover — a statement that made plenty of Chelsea fans, and clearly John Terry, sit up and take notice.

Terry’s Hilarious Takedown on Live Radio

Never one to let a jab at his beloved club slide, Terry decided to phone in to O’Hara’s show and hit back — with plenty of humour and a few savage digs at Spurs’ expense.

“What on earth is he on about this morning, O’Hara?” Terry said, laughing.

“Even using those two words together — ‘Spurs’ and ‘globally’ — should never be in the same sentence ever again.”

He didn’t stop there. Terry jokingly claimed that Tottenham’s pre-season tours never leave north London, then delivered his killer punchline:

“I’ve been invited to the game by Tottenham at the weekend. It’s a 5:30 kick-off.

They’ve asked me to get there at 5:29, said they’ll take me around the trophy cabinet, and have me in my seat by kick-off.”

The studio burst into laughter — even O’Hara and co-host Gabby Agbonlahor couldn’t help but see the funny side.

O’Hara Stands His Ground

Despite Terry’s playful roasting, O’Hara refused to back down.

He doubled down on his earlier comments, saying Tottenham have long been a respected club in London and that Chelsea’s success mainly came from their financial backing.

“JT played in the era when they were big,” O’Hara replied. “They had Roman Abramovich and he was unbelievable.

But before then, Chelsea were nowhere near as big as Tottenham. They weren’t!”

Looking Back: Who Really Had the History?

It’s the kind of argument that football fans love — who really has the bigger legacy before the money came in?

Before Abramovich took over in 2003, Tottenham actually had more major silverware.

Spurs had 16 elite-level trophies to Chelsea’s 10 at the time. If you count all competitions, Tottenham led 27 to 15.

Even when looking at league performance over time, the numbers were close.

In the all-time top-flight table, Chelsea had racked up 5,431 points — just eight more than Tottenham’s 5,423 — and that’s with four more games played.

The Abramovich Effect

But once Abramovich’s era began, the numbers shifted dramatically.

According to data from football365, Chelsea have earned more points than any other Premier League team since 2003 — a whopping 1,663. Tottenham, by comparison, have 1,402 over the same period.

That means that before Abramovich’s investment, Spurs were actually ahead in points — 4,021 compared to Chelsea’s 3,768.

So O’Hara isn’t entirely wrong when he says that Tottenham’s history before the Abramovich era looked a little brighter than Chelsea’s.

The Bigger Picture

Of course, football isn’t just about numbers. Stadium size, fanbase, financial power, and international appeal all play a part in what makes a “big club.”

Tottenham’s move to their new state-of-the-art stadium has seen their average attendance soar, while Chelsea’s global profile skyrocketed with their Premier League and Champions League triumphs.

Still, if we’re talking strictly history — before the billions — there’s an argument that Spurs once held the edge.

Derby Day Tension Builds

With both sides ready to meet again at 5:30pm on Saturday, the debate adds an extra layer of spice to an already heated rivalry.

Expect pub arguments across London to mirror the radio row between Terry and O’Hara.

And as always, one question will hang in the air: who’s really the bigger club — the historically proud Spurs or the modern-era giants Chelsea?