Didier Drogba bows out of Chelsea as true blue champion with his mission accomplished
"It’s not like they don’t want me any more. We sat down all together and the
boss [Roman Abramovich], Ron Gourlay [chief executive] and everyone on the
board respected my decision. I know what I did for them and they know what
they did for me.
“I will take time to make the right decision. My wife and I will go and relax a bit, even though there are national team games. I won’t play for another English club. I owe too much allegiance to Chelsea.
“My blood is blue. I will really miss the fans but they will always be in my heart.”
He has been linked with a reunion with Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua. “Obviously I played with him for many years. It was difficult to see him leave but that’s part of football and life. He is happy there. He is trying to do his best to help the club. But I really want to keep thinking about what happened on Saturday rather than talking about China, America, wherever.
“Since I was a kid I was dreaming of this kind of moments, the scenario was just perfect. It’s like a movie. Even today I still want to be in Munich in that stadium, cheering and celebrating with the fans. It was too quick the first time. I wanted it to be longer.’’
As well as Saturday, Drogba listed two other cherished moments: “Winning the first title at Bolton [in 2005] and the best goal was in the [2007] FA Cup against Manchester United, the first one at the new Wembley, scoring in extra time.’’
He is proud of his legacy. “I would not say we created Chelsea, but we started a new era. We built something really strong in terms of identity. Now we go everywhere in the world and everyone knows about Chelsea. You go to Africa and people speak about Chelsea. I see kids wearing Chelsea shirts in the streets. India, everywhere, Chelsea is a brand.”
Chelsea can build on the victory over Bayern Munich. “Of course. The expectation from the fans and the owner himself will be the same as we did on Saturday. Now we set up something when you come to Chelsea you have to try as a minimum to do the best. You have to get into the Champions League final or win it.
"That’s what the club has to do to be a Barcelona, AC Milan or Real Madrid in Europe. We only have one Champions League and we need more.’’
Could Atlético Madrid’s Falcao fill his boots? “I know he’s a very good player but that’s not for me to decide. The only thing I know is we have very good strikers here already. Everybody knows Fernando [Torres] is a very good player. He’s been through difficult moments here. It happens to everyone.
"My first few seasons here were difficult. The good thing is he has our support. I know next season he’s going to improve. Chelsea is in good hands with Fernando. Of course we will need new strikers but Torres will do the job.’’
In saying his farewells, Drogba was paying tributes. “None of this would have been possible without the big boss, Roman Abramovich. So the best way to repay him was to win the Champions League.
"The boss gave so much for this club. Everybody speaks about buying expensive players but nobody speaks about the facilities at Cobham, one of the best in the world, and improving the academy.
“He said that he understood my feelings, he respected my choice and I told him that I would be a Chelsea player forever. He’s a very good man. He gave everything to my family, gave them the chance to have a nice lifestyle which is fantastic when you remember I came from the Ivory Coast where I didn’t have all these things.
“This Champions League is for all the managers who’ve been here chasing this trophy. Everybody knows the man who gave me the strength and the man I’ve learnt a lot from was Jose [Mourinho]. He gave me this winning attitude, this desire to make history. He’s a winner and we have it in our DNA now.
“I speak about Jose because he was very important to me but the one who spent less time as a manager here is the one who won the Champions League [Roberto Di Matteo]. He is a Chelsea legend. The way he managed to change the mentality of the players is enormous because we were not in good shape mentally.”
Things had not worked out under Andre Villas-Boas. “Andre is a friend. It’s difficult. It feels strange to know that he’s gone and he didn’t give to Chelsea what he really wanted to. When you don’t win, it’s easy to point the finger at the manager. But we all know inside that we are responsible for this.”
Drogba dismissed the suggestion that “senior players run” Chelsea. “When a manager comes here, he’s sat with the owner, with the board, and they’ve decided they have some targets, some objectives, to achieve.
"If they don’t do it, that gives a reason to the boss to do what he has to do. But never a player. I’d never want some players to have an influence on a manager. It’s not good for the team.”
Di Matteo restored confidence. “You can put a player on the pitch and give him 30 games but if he doesn’t feel the belief or the communication is right he’ll never perform.
"Robbie talked to us individually and collectively when he took charge and then we had to do everything to save our season. Everybody had to look at himself and change the way we behaved for the good of the group.
Drogba leaves England a truly respected sportsman, even asked to carry the Olympic torch through Swindon today. “My only disappointment is that I can’t do the Olympics. I wish with the Ivory Coast we could come and play. If it was at Wembley I’m sure we’d win!’’ He usually does.
Throughout it all, Drogba has stayed humble, “trying to save lives and reduce poverty” with his UN work. “I have to say thanks to my parents for the way they educated me and also to my friends – my real friends. They never see me as a star.”
But he leaves England as a champion of Europe.
“I will take time to make the right decision. My wife and I will go and relax a bit, even though there are national team games. I won’t play for another English club. I owe too much allegiance to Chelsea.
“My blood is blue. I will really miss the fans but they will always be in my heart.”
He has been linked with a reunion with Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua. “Obviously I played with him for many years. It was difficult to see him leave but that’s part of football and life. He is happy there. He is trying to do his best to help the club. But I really want to keep thinking about what happened on Saturday rather than talking about China, America, wherever.
“Since I was a kid I was dreaming of this kind of moments, the scenario was just perfect. It’s like a movie. Even today I still want to be in Munich in that stadium, cheering and celebrating with the fans. It was too quick the first time. I wanted it to be longer.’’
As well as Saturday, Drogba listed two other cherished moments: “Winning the first title at Bolton [in 2005] and the best goal was in the [2007] FA Cup against Manchester United, the first one at the new Wembley, scoring in extra time.’’
He is proud of his legacy. “I would not say we created Chelsea, but we started a new era. We built something really strong in terms of identity. Now we go everywhere in the world and everyone knows about Chelsea. You go to Africa and people speak about Chelsea. I see kids wearing Chelsea shirts in the streets. India, everywhere, Chelsea is a brand.”
Chelsea can build on the victory over Bayern Munich. “Of course. The expectation from the fans and the owner himself will be the same as we did on Saturday. Now we set up something when you come to Chelsea you have to try as a minimum to do the best. You have to get into the Champions League final or win it.
"That’s what the club has to do to be a Barcelona, AC Milan or Real Madrid in Europe. We only have one Champions League and we need more.’’
Could Atlético Madrid’s Falcao fill his boots? “I know he’s a very good player but that’s not for me to decide. The only thing I know is we have very good strikers here already. Everybody knows Fernando [Torres] is a very good player. He’s been through difficult moments here. It happens to everyone.
"My first few seasons here were difficult. The good thing is he has our support. I know next season he’s going to improve. Chelsea is in good hands with Fernando. Of course we will need new strikers but Torres will do the job.’’
In saying his farewells, Drogba was paying tributes. “None of this would have been possible without the big boss, Roman Abramovich. So the best way to repay him was to win the Champions League.
"The boss gave so much for this club. Everybody speaks about buying expensive players but nobody speaks about the facilities at Cobham, one of the best in the world, and improving the academy.
“He said that he understood my feelings, he respected my choice and I told him that I would be a Chelsea player forever. He’s a very good man. He gave everything to my family, gave them the chance to have a nice lifestyle which is fantastic when you remember I came from the Ivory Coast where I didn’t have all these things.
“This Champions League is for all the managers who’ve been here chasing this trophy. Everybody knows the man who gave me the strength and the man I’ve learnt a lot from was Jose [Mourinho]. He gave me this winning attitude, this desire to make history. He’s a winner and we have it in our DNA now.
“I speak about Jose because he was very important to me but the one who spent less time as a manager here is the one who won the Champions League [Roberto Di Matteo]. He is a Chelsea legend. The way he managed to change the mentality of the players is enormous because we were not in good shape mentally.”
Things had not worked out under Andre Villas-Boas. “Andre is a friend. It’s difficult. It feels strange to know that he’s gone and he didn’t give to Chelsea what he really wanted to. When you don’t win, it’s easy to point the finger at the manager. But we all know inside that we are responsible for this.”
Drogba dismissed the suggestion that “senior players run” Chelsea. “When a manager comes here, he’s sat with the owner, with the board, and they’ve decided they have some targets, some objectives, to achieve.
"If they don’t do it, that gives a reason to the boss to do what he has to do. But never a player. I’d never want some players to have an influence on a manager. It’s not good for the team.”
Di Matteo restored confidence. “You can put a player on the pitch and give him 30 games but if he doesn’t feel the belief or the communication is right he’ll never perform.
"Robbie talked to us individually and collectively when he took charge and then we had to do everything to save our season. Everybody had to look at himself and change the way we behaved for the good of the group.
Drogba leaves England a truly respected sportsman, even asked to carry the Olympic torch through Swindon today. “My only disappointment is that I can’t do the Olympics. I wish with the Ivory Coast we could come and play. If it was at Wembley I’m sure we’d win!’’ He usually does.
Throughout it all, Drogba has stayed humble, “trying to save lives and reduce poverty” with his UN work. “I have to say thanks to my parents for the way they educated me and also to my friends – my real friends. They never see me as a star.”
But he leaves England as a champion of Europe.
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