Chelsea: Didier Drogba says he does not recognise his former club

1 year ago 44

N'Golo Kante puts his caput successful his hands aft missing a chance, with Kai Havertz reacting successful the background

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says helium does not "recognise the club" arsenic a mediocre play continued with decision by Real Madrid successful the Champions League.

The 4-0 aggregate defeat means the Blues volition extremity the play without a trophy contempt the lavish transportation spending nether caller proprietor Todd Boehly.

They are improbable to beryllium successful immoderate European contention adjacent twelvemonth arsenic they presently beryllium 11th successful the Premier League.

"It is not the aforesaid nine immoderate more," Drogba, 45, told Canal+.

"I don't recognise my club. There is simply a caller proprietor and a caller vision."

Drogba won 12 large honours astatine Stamford Bridge betwixt 2004 and 2012 nether erstwhile proprietor Roman Abramovich, whose generous backing turned the Blues into serial trophy winners pursuing his takeover of the nine successful 2003.

The 56-year-old was forced to merchantability the nine past twelvemonth aft helium was sanctioned by the UK authorities implicit alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin, with American capitalist Boehly and backstage equity steadfast Clearlake Capital completing a £4.25bn takeover successful May 2022.

They spent astir £550m crossed the summertime and wintertime transportation windows to amass a first-team squad of 30 players, but that has failed to construe into occurrence connected the pitch.

They person sacked managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season, portion interim brag Frank Lampard has mislaid each 4 of his matches successful complaint since taking implicit for a 2nd spell earlier this month.

"A dressing country with 30 players is hard to negociate for the coach, whoever helium is," added Drogba.

"We effort to comparison with what was done nether the Abramovich era, wherever determination were galore acquisitions of players, but the choices were precise intelligent.

"Bringing successful players similar Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I spell on. It was to triumph titles and they are players who already person immoderate experience. Here the strategy is different, they stake connected young players.

"I deliberation they surely deficiency charismatic players and leaders. It needs players who instrumentality responsibility."

Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: "Under Abramovich, 90% of the players coming successful needed to execute consecutive away. And if you don't, you are out.

"Now determination is simply a radical of players who arrived successful January, but possibly Enzo [Fernandez] and Joao Felix, that look similar they are much for the future.

"The aboriginal is what, adjacent year? Two years? Chelsea fans are not utilized to waiting."

Speaking earlier Tuesday's lucifer against Real, Frank Lampard dismissed suggestions the nine is "broken", though helium admitted they are "not wherever we privation to be".

Speaking aft the crippled the erstwhile midfielder added: "There are astir apt reasons for the transition. We can't beryllium excessively short-term with it.

"People volition marque a batch retired of this play for Chelsea due to the fact that we've had truthful overmuch success. The world is that this nine is going to beryllium back."

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