Didier Drogba once admitted that he was unhappy when he first joined Chelsea. He became a key player for the team, helping them win numerous trophies, including Premier League crowns and the Champions League. Jose Mourinho chose Drogba over other big stars in 2005, and it proved to be a wise option.
Didier Drogba on joining Chelsea
Drogba, who is considered one of Chelsea‘s best players, once admitted he felt really unhappy about joining the club. Even though he helped Chelsea win many trophies, including Premier League titles and the Champions League, he wasn’t excited about joining at first. Jose Mourinho, the coach, picked Drogba over Ronaldinho in 2005, convincing Roman Abramovich, the club’s billionaire owner, to sign the Ivory Coast star from Marseille. However, Drogba wasn’t as excited about it as Mourinho was.
He liked being in Marseille and didn’t want to go away. But when they offered £24 million, he had to go to West London. He wanted to stay in France, so he tried hard to stay at the club.
“I was disgusted. I realized that signing for Chelsea was disgusting. It’s hard to explain,” Drogba said in The Incredible Destiny of Didier Drogba documentary.
“It’s hard to understand because most of all, people see the financial side or even the sporting side. But I simply wasn’t happy I said to myself ‘I couldn’t give a damn’ (that Marseille have accepted a bid). Maybe that’s going to shock supporters of Chelsea, but I didn’t want to leave. I even did some almost absurd things, in order not to go to Chelsea, such as during the medical. Going to the hospital in Paris, I was praying they would find a problem with my knee or a problem with anything so the move would collapse,” he added.
Even though he wasn’t sure at first, Drogba ended up being one of Chelsea’s most famous players. After winning the Champions League in 2012 and going to Shanghai Shenhua, Mourinho brought Drogba back to Chelsea in 2014. In just one season, he helped the team win another Premier League title and a League Cup.
