Drogba Sad, Says I Don’t Recognise My Club Chelsea

Following losing run of Chelsea in the on-going season and exit on Tuesday from the UEFA Champions League, former team striker, Didier Drogba, has said that he does not “recognise the club” compared with when he played at Stamford Bridge. 

Drogba won 12 major honours between 2004 and 2012 under previous owner Roman Abramovich, whose generous backing turned the Blues into serial trophy winners following his takeover in 2003. 

The 56-year-old was forced to sell the club last year after he was sanctioned by the UK government over alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

“It is not the same club anymore,” Drogba, 45, told Canal+. “I don’t recognise my club. There is a new owner and a new vision. 

“We try to compare with what was done under the Abramovich era, where there were many acquisitions of players, but the choices were very intelligent. 

“Bringing in players like Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I go on. It was to win titles and they are players who already have some experience. Here the strategy is different, they bet on young players. 

“I think they certainly lack charismatic players and leaders. It needs players who take responsibility.”  

Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: “Under Abramovich, 90% of the players coming in needed to perform straight away. And if you don’t, you are out. 

“Now there is a group of players who arrived in January, except perhaps Enzo (Fernandez) and Joao Felix, that look like they are more for the future. 

“The future is what, next year? Two years? Chelsea fans are not used to waiting.” 

Speaking before Tuesday’s match against Real, Frank Lampard dismissed suggestions the club is “broken”, though he admitted they are “not where we want to be”. 

Speaking after the game the former midfielder added: “There are probably reasons for the transition. We can’t be too short-term with it. 

“People will make a lot out of this season for Chelsea because we’ve had so much success. The reality is that this club is going to be back.”